Dimapur, September 10 (MExN): The United Naga Council of Manipur today said there is a “tacit understanding” between Manipur police forces and valley-based Manipur undergrounds “to destabilize the peaceful atmosphere in the tribal villages of the foothills surrounding the Imphal valley.” This, the UNC stated in a statement today, is corroborated by an accident on August 29 in Mapao Khullen village where Manipur police commandoes came conducted “perfunctory frisking operation and hurriedly left the village” followed by militants of the KCP (MC).
A “fact-finding team” of the UNC visited Mapao Khullen village on September 7. “The visit established that on 29 August, 2010, Manipur Police commandos and IRBs came in about 10 vehicles to the village and performed a perfunctory frisking operation and hurriedly left the village. Then on 31st August, 2010, valley based undergrounds, allegedly belonging to the KCP (MC) came at around 9 pm and perpetrated unwarranted violent acts upon the villagers causing grievous injuries to more than 30 village elders, including an aged church pastor on the pretext that there are police informers in the village.”
Further the miscreants warned the villagers to vacate the village within 5 days or face dire consequences. “Womenfolk and children have fled the village owing to the fear psychosis created thereby and are now displaced in different Naga villages,” the UNC said.
Condemning the violence, the UNC noted with concern what it said is the “tacit understanding between the communal police Commandos and the IRB and the valley based undergrounds to destabilize the peaceful atmosphere in the tribal villages of the foothills surrounding the Imphal valley, which has become very evident from this incident.”
The UNC stated: “Time and again the peaceful atmosphere in the foothills has been disturbed by thoughtless armed miscreants with the ulterior motives to intimidate the villagers and force them to flee their villages so as to grab Tribal lands. Such acts have the potential to trigger communal violence between communities. The UNC believes in mutual respect between all different ethnic groups in the region for the sake of peace and communal Harmony.”
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