Police action at Silent decried
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, October 02 2013: The action of State police on Silent villagers has irked the tribal organisations in Manipur.

According to villagers of Silent in Sadar Hills, a large team of police swooped down at Silent village and dismantled three houses and also harassed the villagers last evening.

Not satisfied with the dismantling of the houses, the police personnel left the village with two hens and Rs 1500 .

Silent villagers informed Newmai News Network this morning that at around 6.10 pm on Tuesday, 11 police vehicles including four Bolero jeeps, one 407 mini truck and six Maruti Gypsy jeeps appeared all of sudden without any prior information and started dismantling three makeshift houses.

Seeing what was happening, womenfolk started clanging electric posts which was responded by the large number of villagers.

Thereafter, the Manipur police commandos left the village. According to villagers, Imphal East district Superintendent of Police Angam Kamei had come to the village on Tuesday at around 2 pm and asked the village leaders to come to his office on October 2 as something was needed to be discussed with the disputed village issue.

"The action of the police personnel dismantling the houses last evening was quite surprising," expressed the villgers.

Serou Hongprong, who is the headman of Silent village, said that few hours after police officer Angam R.Kamei had left the village, a team of Lamlai police commandos led by Officer- in-charge (OC) Devkumar entered the village along with women police personnel and dismantled three of the makeshifts put up by the villagers.

The inmates of the three camps were namely Sr.

Pearson (42) s/o late Shashilung, Benjamin (65) s/o late Mitelen and C.P Chans (23) s/o late C.P Tuishem.

Serou Benjamin whose makeshift was dismantled, said that the incident occurred when his family was about to have dinner.

The police commandos entered the house and destroyed whatever they could get hold of and spoke rudely to them without any reason.

Benjamin then alleged that an amount of Rs 1500 has gone missing and has accused the police as they were very rough in their act and were also about to take away some poultry from the household.

Silent village has a border dispute with neighbouring Saijang village.

Villagers of Saijang had attacked the Silent village few months ago.

Meanwhile, United Naga Council, All Tribal Students Union, Manipur, Tangkhul Naga Long, All Manipur Students Union and Tangkhul Katamnao Long, Imphal, had visited the village today.

ATSUM has lashed out at the Manipur govt for its callous attitude.

The students' body said the three families whose houses were burnt down by Saijang villagers few months ago, had been confining in makeshift houses as they have nowhere for shelter.

"This act of Manipur police was inhuman and barbaric," said ATSUM.

The ATSUM also lambasted the Hill Area Committee (HAC) and tribal MLAs for not bothering to address the problem.

"There are numerous such cases where border disputes are rampant in the hill districts but the HAC and tribal MLAs and MPs ignore them," said ATSUM.

Yarthokthing Kashung, Care-Taker President, Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) has also condemned the Silent village incident terming it as uncivilized' being displayed by the Manipur Police commandos.

It was an intrusion into the village with evil intention and terrorizing the villagers in the dark like a thief, said the TNL leader. UNC said the destruction of three houses in Silent Tangkhul village by the Police commandos of the Government of Manipur at around 6.00 pm yesterday is most condemnable. It said the houses were makeshift shelters of families whose houses had been burnt down on May 3, 2013 by "communal forces" .

This time around it was the commando force of the Manipur Government, the UNC stated, adding, "Which has taken over from the non state communal forces" .

"This lawless act was carried out in spite of the presence and request for restraint of the IRBs, who had been stationed there in view of the law and order situation since May 3, 2013 attack.

While it is the bounden duty of a Government to protect the life and property of its citizens, irrespective of the community that they belong to, the Government of Manipur uses its force to destroy the shelters of citizens whose houses have been burnt down by communal forces," the Naga body alleged.

It then said, "What makes this incident significant is that it is not an isolated aberration" .

According to the Naga body, the reprehensible manner and force deployed in wiping out the Naga River Colony in Imphal on the pretext of making space for a 5 star hotel and the harassment, intimidation, damage to property of tribals in Poumai Colony -Laipham Khunou to stop them from constructing houses on land they have purchased on the pretext of protecting agricultural land in the heart of Imphal city are examples, and of which tribal areas are replete with, how the communal agenda are being pursued by both the state and non state actors of the Imphal valley.

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