IM denies role in supplying arms in Manipur
Source: Chronicle News Service / NNN
Imphal, August 18 2023:
The NSCN-IM has denied its role in supplying arms and sending cadres to Manipur to assist a particular community in the ethnic strife-torn state.
A video of an NSCN-IM cadre has surfaced in social media where he claims about 15 NSCN cadres coming to join a particular community to fight against another community.
He claimed in the video that the order in this regard came from a high ranking official in the outfit.
Clarifying on the "viral video wherein personnel of the Naga Army purportedly engaged in selling/supplying arms to a particular party/community", the NSCN-IM, in a statement said that the person seen in the viral video is H Khosiivei Lovingson Road son of Hriipunii Road of Sirong village, Shepou-maramth Region.
He joined "Naga national service" on October 12, 2022 and did his basic military training during the early part of 2023 .
He was then posted at Thungbo Brigade, Naga Army as "private" .
On August 7, 2023, he was granted medical leave for ear infection and sent to Dimapur but went missing since then.
He then surfaced through "this viral video" floating on social media, the NSCN-IM also said.
According to his commander, he proved himself a dubious character, a habitual liar and violating the integrity of a soldier, the NSCN-IM also said while adding that "Any layman on the street will understand that there is something cold and sinister about the video clip...
The video is evidently a premeditated and pre-planned act aimed at provoking communal antagonism and force the hypersensitive situation descends into mayhem by creating hostile environment among the communities and thereby portrays NSCN in bad light," .
"Simply put, it is beyond credible sense that a mere rookie private soldier on leave could have access to such illicit arms dealings unless he has premeditated action plan in collusion with the Indian security forces/agency," the NSCN-IM further added.
The statement then said the "Naga Army" handled its armoury or any military related matter with the crash tested security systems where no officer other than the commander concerned of the unit/area has access to it, least of all a mere private soldier.
"All said and done, this viral video is nothing but the work of a bunch of "war-mongers", the NSCN-IM also stated.
(with inputs from Agencies ) .