New Delhi, March 07: The landmine threat in Manipur hills came under sharp focus on March 5 when yet another protest rally was taken out at the heart of the national capital.

The rally was organised under the initiative of the Kuki Students' Organisation, Delhi.

A similar protest march against planting of landmines, allegedly by valleybased militant groups in Manipur, mass rape of Hmar women in Tipaimukh and the callous attitude of the Manipur government had been held at the same place here on April 4, 2006.However, while last year's rally was targeted at the UNLF/KCP combine and the Manipur government and mainly concerns Churachandpur district, Monday's rally was focused on the UNLF and Chandel district almost entirely.

The rallyists, holding placards and shouting slogans, marched from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street where police barricades blocked them.

A meeting was held there around 2:30 pm, which was addressed by KSO leaders and representatives from tribal students' and human rights organisations�most of them with bases in Manipur.

A memorandum was later submitted to the Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh.

In the Memorandum, the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), General Headquarters, accused the underground UNLF of indulging in all sorts of atrocities in Chandel district particularly with the intention 'to grab the land of the hill people'.

It directly blamed the UNLF of virtually seizing the border areas as their 'liberated zones' and of indulging in innumerable acts of terror upon the innocent village communities.

It says that 33 Kuki villagers in Chandel District have so far died of UNLF-planted landmines.

The student's body also accused the UNLF of uprooting and burning down 39 Kuki villagers in the district.

A detailed list of the landmine victims, those shot dead and houses burnt have also be enclosed with the Memo.

Recalling the contributions and sacrifices made by the Kuki people during India's freedom struggle, the Memo appeals to the central government to immediately deliver the innocent Kuki villagers from the hands of the UNLF, provide relief and monetary compensation, sanitize the area of landmines and launch Army operations to flush out the militants.

It asked for permanent Assam Rifles bases at New Samtal and Khenjoi villages.

The memo also prayed for creating the 'infrastructure for Kuki SelfGovernance'.

Talking to this correspondent, Thangzamang Haokip, general secretary of the KSO/Chandel said that as many as 40 villages within Khengjoi Block, not to speak of others, remained practically under UNLF rule.

He alleged a nexus between UNLF on the one hand and agencies from Myanmar and China in the entire episode.

He said that there is now acute shortage of food as at least two jhum circles have been disturbed in the crisis which started way back since the year 2000.Asked if there is any response from the UNLF to these tragedies and their denials in the press, Thangzamang said that they have not received any positive response whatsoever from the Meitei underground organisation.

He also said that the fear psychosis and terror wrought by the UNLF is responsible for the horrifying tragedy coming into the limelight only now.

Not to speak of the Imphal newspapers, even Kukilanguage papers were scared to publish the facts of the case, he said.

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