There will be no winner : ZCOs appeals for sanity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 12 2023: There will emerge no winner when the present conflict is over.

This conflict is a loss for all, said Zeliangrong Civil Organisations while appealing for restoring peace and strongly condemning police personnel for allegedly harassing seven civilians at a place near Patsoi police station yesterday.

SP of Imphal West police late evening today expressed deep regret for the incident and added that the matter has been resolved.

In a statement today, the Zeliangrong Civil Organisations (ZCOs), comprising Zeliangrong Baudi (AMN), Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) and Zeliangrong Students' Union, said prolonging the conflict will greatly affect all the people of the State and it is time for the Government to show its existence by taking tough and effective measures to bring peace.

While condemning the police for high handedness, ZCOs said seven people from Longmai-4 Peaceland village including two men and five females were allegedly harassed by some police personnel yesterday at around 11 am near Patsoi PS under Imphal West district. The two men were the driver of the vehicle they were travelling in and his assistant and the others include three girls (students) and their mothers.

They were on their way to collect belongings the students left at rented rooms in Thangmeiband when they came home in the first week of May due to closure of educational institutions owing to the present unrest, said the ZCOs.

Two persons in civil dress came out on the road and stopped the Tata Jodha vehicle (mini truck) they were travelling in and allegedly asked the driver, Pouramjuan Riamei on the whereabouts of Kuki militants.

When he replied he had no idea, the police personnel allegedly pulled him down aggressively and made him lie face down with a gun pressed on his back.

The police then allegedly pulled his assistant down from the vehicle and herded them inside the police station.

They were then allegedly harassed by the police personnel inside the station, aslleged the civil organisations appealing to the police to remember their duty.

Once the credibility of the police personnel and security force is lost, they will never be able to win back the confidence of the people, they said.

The organisations further said they have been observing the prevailing situation with complete shock, pain and extreme sadness from the first day of the unprecedented conflict which has left many persons dead, burnt down houses and properties.

So many committees have been constituted by individuals, groups, communities and Government based on the theme of peace and harmony, but they will yield positive results only when the Government acts as a mediator, a negotiator and take the responsibility of a facilitator for peace between the communities so that displaced people can return to their respective villages, said ZCOs.

Prolonging the conflict will multiply the socio-economic hardships people of the State are facing.

Career of thousands of students have been affected by the closure of educational institutions and shutdown of internet services has affected all, the organisations added.

The ZCOs asserted and stressed that it is time all parties realized that no one will emerge as the winner in this conflict.

The conflict is a loss for all, they said, appealing to all to reason together and not be agents that portray the people of the entire State as "violent and unrest mongers" to the outside world.

The Government should take tough, strong and effective measures to bring the situation under control for any negligence on its part may aggravate the situation.

It's time the Government showed its existence and brought complete normalcy to instill a sense of safety and security in the minds of the people, said the ZCOs.

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