LAMKA, September 1: Churachandpur continued to burn for the second day today with the protest against the passing of the Protection of Manipur Peoples`™ Bill 2015, Manipur Land Revenue & Land Records (seventh Amendment) 2015and the Manipur Shop & Establishment (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 refusing to die down.
Meanwhile, the Kuki Innpi CCpur (KIC), the Hmar Innpui and the Zomi Council (ZC) and the respective frontal organisations convened a meeting jointly chaired by UPF and KNO and appealed to all that the unfortunate incidents should not be taken on communal lines and further appealed to all sections of the society to desist from any sort of violence.
Although there was no formal declaration of a bandh, people came out in the morning and burned the belonging of a family for allegedly sheltering the Army. There are also rumours doing the rounds that the firing yesterday which killed a supporter was from valley based UGs as the cartridge recovered were not of government supply.
People have also alleged that the IRB posted in Churachandpur had used knives against the mob that attacked them with stones and any available crude object leading to three more deaths today.
The dead included a 12 year old boy identified as Khaizamang, son of (L) Haokhothang of Bizang.
With reports of several injuries including some critical and some being operated upon the number of casualties may still increase.
The dead persons have been identified as Thangzalian son of Zelzamung of Hiangtam Lamka; Paulianmang, 23, of Dorcas Veng; Pauanlian, 19, from Vengnuam; Henlalson, 18, from HQ Veng; Khamthianmuan, 22, son of Kamkhenthang of Pearsonmun; Zamminthang Valte, 27, son of (L) V Vungkhozam of College Veng; Khaizamang, 12, son of (L) Haukhothang of Bizang and.
Meanwhile, early this morning, the Autonomous District Council Churachandpur members called a press conference at the ADCC chairman Langkhanpau Guite`™s New Lamka residence.
Guite said the present situation wherein people have died is sad.
Their sacrifice will be remembered by the people, he said.
Expressing anger, the ADC chairman also claimed that rubber bullets and tear gas shells are being used in other areas to disperse protestors while real bullets are used in Churachandpur district yesterday.
The chairman, flanked by the vice chairman and the EM, further claimed that the ADCC who is the autonomous body of the district was not consulted on the three bills before they were passed by the Assembly.
He said the ADC Churachandpur will use all the resources under their disposal including pressuring and appeal to the Governor to block the bills from becoming Acts.
Meanwhile, the Kuki Innpi CCpur (KIC), the Hmar Innpui and the Zomi Council (ZC) and the respective frontal organisations convened a meeting jointly chaired by UPF and KNO representatives and deliberated on the issue confronting the tribal people of Manipur.
In a joint declaration to the press today, the organisations said the meeting unanimously condemned the three bills passed by the Manipur Assembly on August 31 citing that the bills are anti-Tribal which impinged on the traditional tribal land rights and land reform.
The meeting further lamented that the baseline for identification of the people of Manipur being fixed in the year 1951 is a `mockery of historical fact` and the manner in which the bills are passed `unanimously` without discussion or debate on the floor of the House is undemocratic and unparliamentary.
The organisations also stated that the Hill Areas Committee should at the earliest convened a meeting and take appropriate steps to either repeal the bills or insert exceptional clauses in the bill within 10 days.
The meeting also appealed that the unfortunate incidents should not be taken on community line and further appealed to all sections of the society to desist from any sort of violence.
The organisations also expressed their deep sorrow and condolences to the precious lives lost for the cause of the tribal while also condemning the security personnel responsible for causing the death and resolved that appropriate ex-gratia should be given to the deceased and compensation to those injured and all properties loss/destroyed.
The joint sitting and their declaration also took a resolution stating that the `The current imbroglio is a manifestation of the age old political grievances of the tribal of Manipur and as such the gathering resolved that the Union government should immediately intervene to find a permanent political settlement for the tribal of Manipur.`
Meanwhile, a team of the All Manipur Working Journalists`™ Union arrived in the district on a fact finding mission.
The team was also held up by an encounter between security forces and stone throwing protestors.