ITLF office, spokesman's house ransacked
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, March 18 2024:
Unknown armed persons attacked and ransacked the office of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) near Churachandpur public ground along with vandalising house of the Forum's spokesman, on Sunday night.
According to reports received here, the armed miscreants caused damage to several files, computer, furniture and other documents of relief and finance and medical department of ITLF.
The miscreants, however, spared the legal cell, planning and other departments of ITLF during the attack.
The miscreants, after vandalising the ITLF office, went to the residence of ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong at D Phailen village and destroyed various properties of his house before leaving the site after firing some shots.
ITLF volunteers while attending to some patients undergoing treatment at Churachandpur hospital reportedly came across two persons suspected to be among those involved in vandalising the ITLF office.
They were beaten up by the ITLF volunteers and later handed over to the Assam Rifles posted in Churachandpur.
Meanwhile, ITLF has strongly condemned the vandalising and damaging its office by on Sunday night.
According to a joint condemnation statement, ITLF chairman Pagin Haokip and secretary Muan Tombing denounced the act of arson by the armed miscreants and also decried the miscreants who attempted to murder ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong at his D Phailen residence the same night.
Stating that acts of violence towards members of one's own community is unacceptable, the statement declared that ITLF will not tolerate such heinous acts and won't stop until the offenders come out and settle with ITLF at the earliest.
On the other hand, the advisor (political affairs) of Mizoram chief minister had arrived in Churachandpur in an unofficial visit and met with Zomi organisation leaders separately.
The advisor had also inspected the areas in the buffer zone.
In a "twist of events" amidst the ongoing ethnic violence, a significant number of frontline workers retreated from the buffer zones.
Destruction of properties belonging to the ITLF, came a day after several Kuki village volunteers eschewed the path of violence and returned to their homesteads from the hot spots in the tri districts of Churachandpur-Kakching and Bishnupur in the state.
Reports said that the ITLF office was targeted following tension between two communities.
It may be mentioned that the village volunteers who were on guard in the buffer zone in Churachandpur had left for their homes on the ground that they (village volunteers) were being unfairly treated by the CSO leaders.
Public meeting was also conducted in this regard by calling total shutdown in Churachandpur.
Dissatisfied with the actions of CSO leaders who are trying their best to create Kukiland to be carved out from Manipur, the Kuki-Zo village volunteers at the frontlines near buffer zones at Chandel, Bishnupur, and Churachandpur went back to their homes instead of performing duties at bunkers.
Some Kuki-Zo village volunteers in buffer zones of Churachandpur district are very much displeased with the actions of CSO leaders who are shouldering responsibility in the ethnic clash with the Meeties since May 3, 2023 .
The clashes that started in Churachandpur district, from where Meeteis have been expelled on the first night of the clash, have cost the lives of over 222 individuals and rendered over 60,000 homeless.
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