IMPHAL February 2: The president of the Kuki National Front – Nehlun (KNF-N), Dr Napoleon, has denied the outfit’s involvement in the various abductions in the state over the past few months while briefing the media at the Sadar Hills on Sunday.
The clarification came in even as people of Charhajar, Sadar Hills staged a sit-in-protest today demanding the safe release of a man who was allegedly abducted on the midnight of January 31, 2014.
Clarifying that the outfit has nothing to do with the abductions and is not related with any such illegal activities, Napolean said that the outfit appreciates the resolution passed by local clubs of Kuki Inpi, Saikhul and various civil societies of the state against future abductions and will support them.
The KNF-N president, commenting on the state of the various development projects in the Kuki-inhabited- areas, said: “From today with immediate effect, we ban the various developmental works of both the central and state sponsored schemes undertaken by the government in the Kuki-inhabited-areas as the development works are just in paper and hardly seen.”
Cautioning departments or agencies against continuing to work by neglecting their diktat in the area, he said that if anything untoward happens to those defying the ban; it would be their own responsibility.
“The KNF-N has banned the office of PHED, Kangpokpi and the SDO Office, Saikhul as the officer and staffs are operating from Khurai Lamlong and as a result people from both these places has to face lots of problems whenever something is required from the office as the officer and the staffs in these offices are sitting in Imphal.”
Appealing to the headmen of various villages in Saikhul to stop going to the office of SDO Office in Saikhul, he also asks the concerned officials to start coming to the office at Saikhul instead of Imphal for the betterment of the people.
“The group has come to know that some agencies are trying hard to get the work from Nairoiching to Sarampthong Hill Range project under the package number MN06 1588 of PMGSY 9- phase. Various agencies are after the project and many of them has bidden in a lower price for the work that cost 5 crore and 78 lakhs. But there are also some agencies who work genuinely for the development, and by keeping the interest, of the people in mind. Any agency which takes up these works has to meet the expectations of the people of the area in the developmental works.”
Asserting that if the agency fails to meet the expectations of the people then the agency will not be allowed to take up projects in the area, he also said that all the decisions were taken after a long discussion by the central committee of the KNF-N for the past two weeks.
The outfit also declared that ‘the total strength of the group is more than 100 and the members are presently stationed in various part of the state’ in the press briefing which was also attended by K S Elson, Commander Special Task Force and also the Home Secretary of KNF-N.
Meanwhile, people of Charhajar, Sadar Hills staged a sit-in-protest along the National Highway Number 2 at Charhajar demanding the safe release of a 56-year-old man who was forcibly abducted by some unknown persons on the midnight of January 31.
Speaking to the media persons during the protest, a family member said that Krishna Paodel, the abducted 56-year-old, runs a grocery shop in the area.
“On the midnight of January 31, around six unidentified persons forcibly took away Krishna in a silver coloured car. Till today, the abductors have not asked for any monetary demand and nor have made any phone calls.”
She also appeals to the abductors to release Krishna safe and unharmed after considering the hardship faced by the family members.