Man missing from Army camp, protestors block road
Woman rails at GOC, scorns army, demands combing operation in nearby Kuki Villages
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 26 2024: A 56-year-old Meetei engaged for a construction work inside the Leimakhong military garrison went missing on Monday, triggering protests by local residents.

The missing man, identified as Laishram Kamalbabu, son of late L Kumardhan from Gosaipur, Cachar, had been residing at Loitang Khunou, serving as a supervisor under M/s Binod Constructions inside the Army camp.

According to his younger brother, Laishram Brajababu, a missing complaint was filed at Sekmai police station on Monday night after Kamalbabu failed to return home and his phone remained in switchoff mode.

Kamalbabu left his home around 9 am on Monday on his Honda Activa (MN01N 7723, light pink colour) to visit the army camp.

When he did not return at his usual time, his family tried calling him around 4:15 pm, but his phone was switched off.

Kamalbabu's son, Laishram Birjit, had last seen him inside the army camp around 1:20 pm.

The disappearance led to a large group of locals, including members of Meira Paibi, converging on the Kanto Sabal road leading to the Army camp on Tuesday morning and staging impromptu protest.

The demonstrators demanded the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the 57th Mountain Division initiate a search and rescue operation for Kamalbabu, and they blocked the road leading to the army camp with barbed wire, boulders by using excavators.

The protesters insisted that the army take immediate action to locate the missing man.

One of the female protestors confronted army personnel who had arrived to clear the road blockage, saying, "What will you benefit from confronting us unarmed women protestors? Instead of confronting us, go there and face the Kuki militants.

Carry out combing operations and rescue the missing man, if you are brave enough.

We never started any skirmish.

It is always the Kukis who first target civilians and Meetei villages.

Despite such happenings, the GOC is still remaining silent.

He should be ashamed".

The protestor continued, "The army chief is also making false statements.

What will you do if this happens to your families? Kukis are within 1 km, go there, and conduct combing operations.

What were you doing since yesterday? Are you neglecting the situation here because it's not your birthplace? Let the GOC come and talk with us.

Why are you taking our people to work there if you cannot guarantee their safety? The 57th Mountain Division knows the positions and locations of the Kukis, then why are you not doing anything?" SDPO Lamphel and Sekmai PS OC also arrived at the spot and monitored the situation.

Around 3 pm, a six-member team of protestors was allowed to enter the army camp to meet with the GOC of the 57th Mountain Division.

According to one Ibo Moirangcha, who was among the team, during their meeting, the locals and the GOC reviewed footage of the CCTV installed at the army camp's entry and exit points, confirming that Kamalbabu entered the camp in the morning, but there was no record of him leaving.

Additionally, another exit point towards Makhan village was also checked, but no footage showed him exiting from there either, confirming that he went missing inside the army camp.

The GOC assured the protestors that the army is actively searching for Kamalbabu but could not provide a timeline for his rescue or guarantee his safety since they are also baffled.

The general officer expressed shock over how Kamalbabu went missing within the army camp without any trace, Ibo conveyed while terming the inability of the army to guarantee safety of labourers inside their camp and to rescue him as unfortunate.

The protestors said that workers enter the army camp with a sense of security, trusting the army.

However, the protestors condemned the army's inability to guarantee the safety of the workers.

Laishram Ratan Kumar, the contractor under whom Kamalbabu works, said that Kamalbabu had entered the camp to supervise the work.

His phone had been switched off from around 2 pm, but there were no initial concerns since he was inside the army camp.

When he failed to return by 4:30 pm, the contractor contacted the deputy GOC, but the army was unable to locate him.

Ratan Kumar called for the army to take full responsibility for Kamalbabu's safe rescue, as he went missing from inside their camp.

Large number of protestors are staying overnight at the road blockade site demanding the Army to find and rescue the missing man.

According to his family, Kamalbabu did menial jobs at the Leimakhong Army Camp of 57 Mountain Division, located 16 km away from the state capital and surrounded by Kuki villages.

Meeteis who lived near Leimakhong have fled the area since the onset of the ethnic violence that has claimed over 250 lives since May last year.

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