KRA assaults Liangmai Naga for refusing Rs 300
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 05 2023:
Two armed men who identified themselves as cadres of the Kuki militant group KRA severely assaulted a Naga civilian engaged in trading banana for refusing to give them Rs 300 .
The victim is a former chairman of Lenglong village.
The incident happened in front of Chalwa police outpost on IT Road, Kangpokpi district at around 7.30 am today.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here this afternoon, 56 year old Zuina Hotngambou of Lenglong village, Tamei sub-division, Tamenglong district recounted that he was taking some bananas to Kangpokpi in a pick-up truck along with his wife and son.
As they reached Chalwa police outpost at around 7.30 am, two men in civilian fatigue stopped them and demanded Rs 300 .
In reply Zuina Hotngambou said, "Why are you demanding money for every trip? .
If you are harassing us every now and then, I will raise the matter to our high command" .
At this, one of the unidentified men asked Zuina who their high command was.
"As soon as I named Liangmai Naga Council, United Naga Council and Naga Hoho, the two men identified themselves as KRA cadres and started physically assaulting me", Zuina said.
"I did not expect such ruthless thrashing.
The man who assaulted me was sitting next to me.
My shirt is still wet with blood", he narrated showing his blood-stained shirt.
He said that Kuki militants have been demanding money on IT Road on every journey.
In addition, they also collect annual 'tax' .
Another Kuki militant group, UTLF has been extorting money from civilians at Kangpokpi, Zuina said.
"We have been facing and enduring rampant extortion by Kuki militants for the last 10 years.
There are around 10 mini-trucks in our village which are engaged in transporting bananas and Kuki militants demand and collect money from all these mini-trucks", he said.
"What the KRA men did to me was not an assault on me alone but it was an attack against all the Naga people", the former village chairman said.
"This was revealed when I was assaulted mercilessly the moment I took the names of LNC, UNC and the Naga Hoho", he added.
The KRA was conspiring to escalate the ongoing violence, he said.
Zuina Hotngambou then appealed to the LNC, UNC and the Naga Hoho to look into the matter with due seriousness.
He also appealed to the State Govemment to takeup necessary measures so as to check extortion and harassment of general public by Kuki militants on IT Road.