Assault of student leaders : NSF demands security, termination
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 17 2016: The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) has demanded termination of the police officer whose team verbally assaulted a team of NSF at Mantripukhri on February 14 .

In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister O Ibobi, the NSF said that some of their office bearers were on their way to attend Lui-Ngai-Ni at Ukhrul when they were stopped by a duty party of Manipur Police Commando at Mantripukri at 6.30 am on February 14, 2015 for frisking and for which the officials on board the vehicle complied to the checking.

The NSF officials tried to communicate in English but the duty officer shouted back in anger why the NSF officials cannot speak Manipuri language.

The duty-officer then started to verbally abuse the NSF team on communal lines and snatched away their mobile phones.

They accused the tribal people from the hills of creating problems in the valley.

They even physically assaulted one of the officials.

The commando team forcefully pushed and attempted to pull the officials of NSF from the frisking area and threatened them (NSF team) to be taken to a secluded area, the memorandum alleged.

After a while, the duty officer in charge called for reinforcement and subsequently another duty party arrived at the spot where the NSF officials were forced again to get into the police truck, which the NSF officials resisted.

Given that cases of fake encounter have been making headlines in the State of Manipur, the motive of the duty officer to forcefully take the NSF team to a secluded place is very much questionable, it continued.

The duty officer went to the extent of harassing the delegation, and questioned why they have to enter the valley area instead of taking the route from Senapati to Ukhrul, it alleged while asking whether the roads to the valley are meant only for a particular section of people.

The verbal abuses and harassment continued for almost one and a half hour and the official delegation of the NSF were released only when one of its federating units' president and a senior social activist stopped over after noticing the vehicle in which the officials of the NSF were travelling.

Stating that it is imperative to set exemplary punishment to the security personnel who instead of providing security to the general public were rather involved in terrorizing the general public, the NSF demanded termination of the duty officer in charge from his service and the suspension of all the police personnel involved in the incident and assurance to provide safety and security to the Nagas and Naga vehicles in and around the valley areas.

Further seeking a public apology, NSF said that it would be compelled to initiate its own course of action in case the Government of Manipur fails to take due consideration of the matter within seven days on receipt of this letter.

In case of vexatious fallout, Manipur Government will be held solely responsible, it concluded.

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