RPF blames Assam Rifles for all evils
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 19 2013 : The proscribed RPF has blamed the Assam Rifles for all the evils plaguing Manipuri society.

Assam Rifles are central to the numerous cases of fake encounters, rapes, robbery in the name of counter insurgency operations, detention of under-aged children and attempts to brand them as insurgents, staging surrender dramas by luring youngsters with the false promise of providing jobs, outraging women's modesty by providing certain material benefits under Civic Action Programme, bomb attacks, drug trafficking, bootlegging etc.

The UTLA (Thadou faction) general secretary served a monetary demand of Rs 10 lakhs in connivance with Assam Rifles on July 16.But the general secretary was arrested by police commandos when he came to collect the money.

Immediately Maj Anand Kanti of 22 AR came to Jiribam PS and tried to take away the general secretary forcibly resulting in a face off between Assam Rifles and police commandos.

In his efforts to take away the arrested extortionist, Major Anand Kanti physically assaulted Jiribam Additional SP which was avenged by commandos in a befitting manner, the outfit recounted in a press statement issued by its Publicity Secretary Roben Khuman.

This scuffle was followed by the home-coming ceremony of 45 UTLA (Thadou faction) cadres hastily organised the next day.

Assam Rifles were deployed in Manipur because the Government of India thought that they (AR) would receive more respect from the people of Manipur as compared to other military units as many ranks and files of AR comprised of people hailing from the North East region.

But Assam Rifles have gone many steps ahead of other Indian military units as far as human rights violation is concerned.

Assam Rifles are deployed in Manipur with a covert agenda of polarising indigenous communities and sowing seeds of distrust.

The recent Supreme Court ruling was a clear indication that even the highest Indian Court abhors the conduct of Assam Rifles, it alleged.

Violation of Indian laws by Assam Rifles is far greater than the revolutionary groups who have been continuously blamed by the Government for violating its laws.

Claiming that no revolutionary group has ever awarded capital punishment to any accused without conducting proper trial, the outfit estimated that Assam Rifles have killed more than 2000 civilians in the last 20 years without giving the victims any opportunity to stand trial.

In addition, local people working with them (Assam Rifles) were used in vitiating the bond of fraternity shared by indigenous communities.

The earlier incident of an AR team led by a Major belonging to Meitei community intruding into NSCN-IM camp and the resulting stand off after the Major was taken into the custody of NSCN-IM was a fine example of Assam Rifles' sinister ploy to create animosity among the indigenous communities.

Similar to the recent Jiribam incident, some AR personnel who came together a few MDF cadres to deliver demand letter to RIMS authority were apprehended by police sometime back.

However, AR authority just kept quiet as if they were not at all involved in the unlawful activity, the outfit remarked.

All these incidents clearly testified that Assam Rifles are engaged on an extortion spree with the help of some pseudo revolutionaries.

A large number of pseudo revolutionaries entrapped and forced to take part in surrender dramas are being used by Assam Rifles in sending demand letters to the people and kidnapping people for ransom.

For all the evils and wicked activities perpetrated by them, Assam Rifles have been incessantly churning out baseless propaganda in order to blame genuine revolutionary groups for all their unlawful and anti-social activities, it alleged.

Even though the Indian military always refused their involvement in trafficking drugs and supplying the same to youngsters of Manipur, they could no longer deny the same assertion after Defence PRO Col Ajay Choudhry was held with a huge consignment of drugs.

In addition, a truck load of country made liquor being transported by Assam Rifles in collaboration men was intercepted by civilians at Ukhrul and the truck was set ablaze recently.

Given the wicked activities of Assam Rifles and their notorious record, it is best for the people to stay from Assam Rifles as far as possible.

The outfit also appealed to indigenous people working in Assam Rifles not to allow themselves used in any activity which has the potential to create misunderstanding and hatred amongst the indigenous communities.

The arrogance of Assam Rifles went to the limits when they physically assaulted policemen who were armed like themselves.

One can only imagine the attitude of AR and their treatment of civilians when they can physically assault armed policemen, it said.

The outfit also hailed the police commandos and policemen who stood up to the arrogance of Assam Rifles and taught a befitting lesson to Maj Anand Kanti.

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