IMPHAL, May 11: Following the brutal assault on five villagers of Sehao and six labourers engaged in the construction of PMGSY road allegedly by cadres of KNLF, many Sehao villagers including women and children have started fleeing their homes in fear since last Saturday evening.
On receiving the news about the incident, a team of Kuki Student`s Organization (KSO) Khengjoi Block and former ADC Member of Songjang Constituency Paokhosei Haokip along with a media team visited the villagers and the victims who are taking shelter at the outpost of 6 Dogra Regiment located at Kemdo today.
The assaulted villagers have been identified as Seikhomang Haokip, 27 son of Late Jamkhotil Haokip, Chief of Senam; Seichon Haokip, 30 son of Late Onthang Haokip; Lunsei Haokip, 35 son of Thangsat Haokip; Lunkhosat Haokip, 29 son of Thangsat Haokip; Jamkhongam Haokip, 38 son of Late LimseiHaokip.
While the labourers assaulted by the KNLF have been identified as Sh Subash, 44 of Keirao Wangkhem (Work Supervisor), JCB driver Kh Subash, 30 son of Kh Ibo of Wabagai, JCB driver S Herojit, 19 son of Kanhai of Nongmaikhong, JCB driver Salam Romesh, 28 son of S Thoiba and JCB 2nd driver Chungkham Naoba, 20 son of Ibohal of Sekmaijing.
According to the victims, two armed cadres of Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF) brutally assaulted the five JCB Drivers and a villager near Sehao village while returning back from a work site at around 6 pm last night. The cadres also assaulted four other villagers and the work supervisor who came to search the JCB drivers after they failed to return for long. After beating black and blue using woods, the armed cadres also threatened to kill all the villagers if they inform the army and media persons about the incident.
Fearing reprisal from the armed outfit, the villagers were compelled to flee their homes along with the labourers and took shelter at the Out Post of 6 Dogra Regiment. The Officers and personnel of 6 Dogra Regiment administered first aid treatment to all the assaulted individuals besides providing shelter and food for the villagers till Sunday morning.
After interacting with the villagers, Paokhosei Haokip, former ADC Member of Songjang and KSO Khengjoi Block made a temporary arrangement to accommodate the villagers at Khangbarol BDO Office as the villagers refused to return to the village fearing dire consequences.
Speaking to media persons, Seikhomang Haokip, Chief of Sehao who is also the vice president of KSO Khengjoi Block said that the incident of last night was not the first atrocity meted out by the KNLF cadres upon the villagers. There had been an incident where cadres of the armed outfit indiscriminately fired several rounds in the villagecreating fear psychosis among the villagers particularly to the women and children, he added.
Moreover, the cadres of the outfit also kidnapped one labourer engaged in the construction of the PMGSY road from the village on April 22 last but the labourer managed to escape from the captors. There had been another incident in which a Shaktiman Driver was tortured some days back. Since the said armed outfit established their designated camp at Semol, villagers of the area particularly the Sehao villagers cannot settle peacefully, lamented the Village Chief.
While appealing the concerned authority to shift the KNLF designated camp from the area, Seikhomang Haokip said that the villagers will not return to their homes until and unless the concerned authority shifted cadres of the outfit from their Semol designated camp.
Strongly condemning the action of the KNLF Cadres, Paokhosei Haokip who is also the Chief of New Songjang Village said such mindless action and atrocities of KNLF upon the innocent villagers and labourers should be condemned by all. He expressed gratitude to the 6 Dogra Regiment for providing assistance to the aggrieved villagers.
