NSF raises posers before State Govt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 24 2016:
After spelling out in details what happened at Mantripukhri on February 14, the Naga Students' Federation has listed a number of posers before the State Government.
Alleging that the Manipur police commandos acted in an extremely haughty and communal manner, the student body in a statement issued to the press today raised 11 questions before the State Government.
Without mincing words, NSF asked whether it is the Nagas who are the problem makers in 'Manipur State' .
'Why and on what ground did the Government agency (police) ask the Nagas not to take Imphal route to reach Ukhrul for the festival (Lui-Ngai-Ni)' asked the NsF and added that it would like to know what sort of sufferings the hill people have caused to the other people.
The student body further asked what the GoM want from the Nagas and added what is the intention of the GoM in disturbing the Nagas every now and then.
The NSF reminded that it had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Manipur on February 16 with a three point demand; The demands included 'to terminate the duty officer in charge from his service and the suspension of all the police personnel involved in the incident; Assurance to provide safety and security of the Nagas and vehicles of Nagas in and around the valley areas and to officially tender a public apology to the Naga Students' Federation.
"The NSF officials came down all the way to Imphal to register a protest and resolve the matter with all humility even when we were the victims but they didn't even bother to meet us," alleged the student body.
"We were left with no option but to return to Kohima from Imphal after submitting a memorandum to the Government of Manipur.
The failure of the GoM to respond to the demand compelled the NSF to believe that the GoM entrusted the duty-party to harass the Nagas travelling to Ukhrul for Lui-Ngai-Ni festival, in particular to the NSF officials and also if possible to make the NSF team disappear," charged the student body.
The main issue is not the physical assault but the attempt to make the Naga Students' Federation officials 'disappear' alleged the student body.
The GoM on the other hand is maintaining that it was just normal checking.
The duty party openly and aggressively spoke along communal lines, alleged NSF and added that the hill people were accused of creating problems in the valley.
Despite this, the GoM protected the duty party by terming the incident as just another normal frisking duty.
An armed force trying to impose Manipuri language on people who can't speak Manipuri is highly unacceptable, said NSF.
Nagas travelling in the valley have never been safe more so when it is Nagas driving with Nagaland Registration number.
The February 14 incident was not the first of its kind.
The GoM may also recall the May 3, 2010 incident, when members of Naga Students' Federation (NSF), who were on a preparatory visit to Oinam Hill village, Senapati, for their forthcoming Federal Assembly scheduled for May 7, 2010 were stopped at Mao gate and barred from entering their own ancestral lands for the very first time, which was never ever done before.
NSF officials have been facing this kind of treatment from the Government of Manipur time and again.
And this time, the NSF officials were questioned for passing through Imphal valley and not Senapati to Ukhrul.
Do they mean to say that Imphal valley is only for a particular community, asked NSF.
"Now the GoM is saying that it was just a normal checking.
If it was just normal checking then why were we detained for more than 90 minutes ? Why were they not stopping any other vehicles but only the Nagaland Registration car ? What was the motive of the duty party in forcefully trying to take the NSF team to an undisclosed location ?" further asked the statement.
The Naga Students' Federation has also appealed to all the right thinking people to sincerely examine who first went communal and humbly appealed to all to support the people's struggle.
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