Mao tense over assault of youth by AR
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, September 03 2024: Members of Naga student bodies rushed to Mao Gate, the border town of Manipur with Nagaland after alleged assault and gun butting of a youth leader by personnel of 16 Assam Rifles, as the incident on Monday heightened tension and mob situation.

According to local sources, the incident occurred around 3 pm Monday at Kopon in Phikomai village, Mao, where a local youth leader identified as Loli Kaihrii Philip (36) of Kalinamei village, presently serving as games & sport secretary of Kahremai Youth Club (KYC), auditor of Senapati District Truck Drivers' Union and is a school bus driver by profession, was assaulted by 16 AR while he was assisting the flow of traffic on NH-2 .

According to the victim, uniformed armed AR jawans choked by holding his neck from the back, kicked multiple times and gun butted on the head.

He also claimed that an officer of 16 AR Mao repeatedly threatened to kill him apart from firing three rounds, with empty cases of AK-47 promptly collected by the AR personnel before fleeing the scene as the villagers protested the high-handed conduct of the uniformed personnel.

Meanwhile, leaders of All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) along with its federating unit leaders rushed to Mao Gate where a mob gathered at the 16 AR outpost gate near the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Pfukhro, Mao.

Condemning and expressing resentment over the barbaric, unruly and uncivilised act of AR officer and troopers, an ANSAM leader addressed the crowd demanding justice for the victim.

"Such type of incidents have occurred in the area on numerous occasions and the army personnel were blanketed by the demonic AFSPA, 1958.We need to stand together as one and condemn this barbaric conduct.

We came here for peaceful dialogue but AR officer refused to entertain us," the student leader claimed.

It has been learnt that the 16 AR commanding officer has also rushed to the 16 AR Mao outpost to defuse the situation and talk to the student leaders.

Meanwhile, local leaders stated that the incident will be dealt under the village court according to Naga customary law.

On the other hand, Mao Students' Union (MSU), in a statement, vehemently condemned the physical assault on a youth leader by personnel of 16 AR and demanded booking of the perpetrators at the earliest.

Naga Students' Federation (NSF) also strongly condemned the assault by personnel of 16 AR Mao outpost on Loli Kaihrii.

In a condemnation note, NSF alleged that 16 AR, who claims to be 'Friends of the Hill People,' has once again betrayed the trust of Naga community.

Such incident is not an isolated one, but part of a troubling pattern of abuse and intimidation that the Naga people have been enduring under the guise of law and order, it said.

NSF also demanded immediate and decisive action against the armed personnel involved in the heinous act and reiterated its call for immediate repeal of AFSPA, 1958 from Naga homeland.

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