VDF row leads to haul-up of non-locals
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 04, 2013: In all 10 non-local child labourers have been rescued by a 'section' of Village Defence Force (VDF) personnel and volunteers of Federation of Regional Indigenous Society (FREINDS) from an Imphal east district area this morning.

The rescued under-aged workers comprising children from Bangladesh and Assam State, have been handed over to the police, said Federation president Sapamcha Jadumani while speaking to mediapersons at its Keishampat office today.

It is said that an argument ensued amongst the VDF personnel stationed/deployed at Old Checkon crossing near Ananda Singh Higher Secondary School when the uniformed personnel on frisking/checking duty spotted a Tata Magic (MN01X/0431) with 17 occupants, including 10 minors at around 9.30 am.

With certain VDF personnel raising strong objection to their colleagues' insistence that the Tata Magic and its occupants be allowed to proceed after Rs 200 'payment', the matter was eventually conveyed to FREINDS volunteers who reached the site and rescued the children.

Claiming to have information that the child labourers were on their way to a construction site in Porompat after their engagement for a similar project at Lamphelpat area, Jadumani named one Atul Ratep Shak (25) s/o Abdul Samar Shak from Assam's Dubri district as the guide/leader of the group, halted at the Old Checkon crossing.

The FREINDS president further maintained that out of the 17 persons travelling in the vehicle 10 of them were below 18-years of age with the guide Ratep Shak reportedly staying in Manipur for the last six months while the others came here only recently.

He also claimed to have report that the non-locals were brought here by one RK Rameshwor of Malom Mamang Leikai, who runs a construction agency by the name of RK Industries.

Most of the children originally hail from Bangladesh but had stayed in Assam for a while before being brought to Manipur by Rameshwor as cheap labourers, maintained Jadumani who also asked all concerned, including contractors against facilitating stealthy transportation of non-locals.

Further confiding that the rescued children would be handed over to the police as Imphal East district police authorities have already been intimated about the matter, he also highlighted that out of the total population of 3 crores in Assam about 80 lakhs are immigrants from Bangladesh.

With nearly 30 MLAs in the Assam Legislative Assembly being Bangladeshis there is strong possibility that attempts are on to push in Bangladeshi nationals from Assam into Manipur, cautioned Jadumani.

Reminding that non-locals marrying Manipuri women only to abandon them is not a rare case, he called upon every section of the society to contribute their mite in checking alarming rate of influx of non-locals into the State.

Representatives of Joint Committee Inner Line Permit System, AMSU, KSA, DESAM, SUK and SUAK were also present at the media briefing.

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