EMN
Dimapur, September 16
The Western Rengma Students’ Union Nagaland (WRSUN) Nagaland, alongwith the Tenyimia Students’ Union Dimapur, and Rengma Students; Union Dimapur have condemned the harassment and physical abuse meted out to eight Rengma women by suspected Karbi militants on September 12th, 2014. The press release states that the incident took place around 2pm when the Rengma group of women were en-route to attend a women seminar at Western Rengma Baptist Mission Centre, Jongpha under Chokihola Police Station. “The women were ‘waylaid at Borsuphon by suspected Karbi militants and subjected to physical/mental harassments for more than 2 hours at gun point. The militants claimed that they were the ones who burnt down the house of Rengmas on December 27th 2013. Some of them even mocked the women folk saying “why have you returned even when your houses have been burnt”. Not satisfied these militants robbed the poor innocent women of their mobile phones”, reads the statement.
The joint press release says the Officer-in-charge of Chokihola PS refused to file an FIR and objected to the written complaint by the women which mentioned that they were ‘thoroughly interrogated at gunpoint’. This left the women with no option but to change their statement, from an FIR to just ‘information’.
The repeated attitude of the police the statement alleges breeds insecurity of the Rengma community and a strong action against the Officer-in-charge of the concerned PS is being demanded.The district administration has also been urged to probe the incident and provide security.
The statement says that since the beginning of the conflict last December 2013, the status of women is degenerating and urges the Assam Human Rights Commission and the State Women Commission to inquire into the matter.
