PRESS STATEMENT
Dated Tahamzam, 4rd May, 2013
Silent Tangkhul Naga village with about 60 households was attacked by a large number of well armed people from the neighbouring Meitei Saijang village at about 10.30 am of 3rd May, 2013 and 36 (thirty-six) houses were burnt down. Properties worth crores of rupees was reduced to cinders and hundreds of villagers were rendered homeless. The trauma and scars on the victims of seeing their homes burnt up before their very eyes will definitely last a lifetime. The nearest Police station, Lamlai P.S. , located just a few kms away was informed at 11 AM but the Police arrived at the spot at only 1.00 PM. Some of the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons which were fired in the air and many of them were masked. Some of the Silent villagers were locked up from outside by the attackers before setting the house on fire. They escaped being burnt to death fortunately by breaking open the doors of the houses as the fire engulfed the houses. We condemn these dastardly acts of violence upon the villagers of Silent Village that has been carried out on communal lines.
The highly sensitive situation on account of the sharp social divide on communal lines in the present State of Manipur, which has even been publicly noted by the Prime Minister of India and of which the United Naga Council had repeatedly placed in the public domain is now being demonstrated in actual explosion in broad daylight. This highly communal episode has taken place because no intervention has been forthcoming as demanded by the situation. Many more such explosion and of more intensive and extensive magnitude will inevitably take place unless an alternative arrangement is provided for the Nagas and tribals outside the Government of Manipur.
We once again draw the attention of the Prime minister of India for urgent intervention to prevent outbreak of a total communal conflagration.
We also appeal to all the general public, church bodies and the civil society organisations to generously contribute in cash or in kind towards relief for the villagers of Silent village who had fallen victims of above communal violence.
Publicity Wing
United Naga Council