NSF writes to Manipur CM on February 14 incident; Demands action within 7 days

EMN KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 16 In the aftermath of the harassment meted out on members of its official delegation on February 14 at Mantripukhri in Imphal by a duty party of Manipur police commando, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Manipur, O Ibobi Singh containing a three-point demand. The memo, endorsed by NSF president Subenthung Kithan and assistant general secretary Kesosul Christopher Ltu, narrated the sequence of the incident, how the NSF delegates on their way to attend the Lui-Ngai-Ni at Ukhrul were stopped by the Manipur police commando at Mantripukri, at 6.30 am on February 14 for frisking and for which the officials on board the vehicle complied to the checking. “The NSF officials tried to communicate in English but the duty officer shouted back in anger why the NSF officials cannot speak Manipuri language. To the utter shock of the NSF officials the duty-officer started to verbally abuse on communal lines and snatched away their mobile phones. They accused the tribal people from the hills for creating problems in the valley. They even physically assaulted one of the officials challenging what NSF can do in Manipur,” the federation stated. “The duty party of Manipur Police Commando forcefully pushed and attempted to pull the officials of NSF from the frisking area and threatened them (NSF team) to be taken to a secluded area as nobody knows about them of being stopped for frisking and stated to show them the affairs in the state of Manipur and after which nobody will know of their whereabouts. After a while, the duty officer in charge called for reinforcement and subsequently another duty party arrived at the spot where the NSF officials were forced again to get into the police truck, which the NSF officials resisted. Given that cases of fake encounter making news headlines in the state of Manipur, the motive of the duty officer to forcefully take the NSF team to a secluded place is highly unscrupulous and very much questionable,” the NSF said in the memo. The federation stated that the duty officer went to the extent of harassing its delegation, questioning why they have to enter the valley area instead of taking the route from Senapati to Ukhrul. It questioned as to whether the roads to the valley are meant only for a particular section of people. The NSF stated that the verbal abuses and harassment continued for almost one and half hour and its delegates were released only when one of its federating units’ president and a senior social activist stopped over after noticing the vehicle in which the officials of the NSF were travelling. “It is imperative to set exemplary punishment to the security personnel who instead of providing security to the general public were rather involved in terrorizing the general public,” the NSF stated. In the wake of the incident, the NSF strongly demanded for the termination of the duty officer in charge from his service and the suspension of all the police personnel involved in the incident. It also demanded assurance from the Chief Minister of Manipur to provide safety and security of the Nagas and Naga vehicles in and around the valley areas, and for an official public apology to the Naga Students’ Federation. The federation cautioned that it will be compelled to initiate its own course of action in case the Manipur government fails to take due consideration of the matter within 7 days on receipt of its memorandum. “In case of vexatious fallout, Manipur Government will be held solely responsible,” NSF warned. A copy each of the memorandum have also been issued to the Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur, Chief Secretary Manipur, Director General of Police Manipur, and Chief Secretary Nagaland for information.