“They called us prostitutes and illiterates”
DIMAPUR, MARCH 11 (MExN): It is learnt that top state police officials from PHQ threatened wives/family members of the nine slain IRB personnel as well as the injured, with annulling the ex-gratia compensations and reparation granted by the Government to the bereaved families/wives if their memorandum demanding recalling of the 9th IRB from Barsur, Chhattisgarh was not withdrawn.
It was alleged that the three police officials, who were identified by the women, threatened as well as verbally abused the wives at a meeting held March 9 at the Chumukedima Police center.
“When we went at the meeting we had gone there expecting them to offer us sympathy and understanding of our grief and pain. Instead, they threatened us by saying they would not pay us the ex-gratia and compensations if we did not withdraw the demand for withdrawal of IRB from Chhattisgarh” the distressed wives narrated tearfully. The wives were then asked to sign a document of apology as well as recalling the memorandum forwarded to the government some time back. However, they refused, the wives said. A few days later the police department sent a vehicle to the wives to take them to the Police Headquarters, Chumukedima to sign the document but was refused, it was added.
Further, the police officials even insulted the wives saying that they were prostitutes and liquor-house molls who had met their husbands (IRB personnel) on the streets or drinking houses. “They shouted at us that we married our husbands after meeting in the streets. They called us prostitutes who didn’t even know how to append our own signatures” one of the wives narrated. Accounts from them said they were not even allowed to speak appropriately at the meeting. “Anytime any of us stood up to voice our grievances or objections, the officers pointing their fingers would demand our names, name of village, residence address and names of our husbands posted in Chhattisgarh. Then they told us that our husbands would be targeted in particular and all allowances and salaries stopped,” the wives said.
“We are not here on behalf of our husbands. We understand that it is only their duty to obey orders and to report to duties. But we are here on our own because of the pain and hopelessness that they might meet the same fate as the others” one said tearfully. “We don’t want our children in orphanages. We want to give them education and life”.
In a related matter they also said that a 9th IRB Deputy Commandant stationed at HQ threatened the wives that all salaries and allowances to their husbands would be stopped for creating problems and ‘alarm’ after the killing of the nine IRB personnel.
The affected families, particularly the wives are traumatized by the treatment meted out to them by the police officials and are fearful that there would be reprisals from the Police department. It was averred by the women that the police or the government was trying to suppress their voice and in that light called upon all NGOs and the Naga people in general to render their support to the IRB families.
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