IMPHAL, February 5: The Kuki Chief’s Association Chandel, Kuki Peoples’ Forum Chandel, Thadou Students’ Association Chandel and Kuki Students’ Organisation, Chandel have strongly condemned “the brutal act of cadres of NSCN (IM) attacking Molnom Village, Pallel around 6:30 pm on February 3.”
A joint statement of the organisations said in the indiscriminate firing towards the villagers by NSCN IM cadres, 25-year-old Lunkhogin Haokip alias Gigin son of Paokhomang Haokip of Molnom Village sustained severe injuries and was hit by bullets on his forehead, shoulder and right hand.
It said a joint meeting of the KCA, KPF, TSA and KSO Chandel district was held today at Molnoi Village.
During the meeting, the organisations resolved to appeal to the State and Central governments to bring a solution to the frequent attacks on the Kukis in Chandel district by NSCN-IM, it said.
The Kukis in Chandel want peace and harmony, it said demanding as to whether the NSCN (IM) has any intention of repeating the 1990’s NSCN (IM)-Kuki ethnic clashes.
It said similar incidents had occurred at Aimol Ngairong Village last year in August 22, when houses were attacked, bombs were lobbed and gun shots fired towards the villagers killing Manglun Aimol of Ngairong village.
The joint statement of the organisations further questioned the Centre whether the peace-agreement signed between the Centre and the NSCN (IM) allows the latter to harass the civilians.
It also appealed to all concerned authorities and the government to look into the incident and said if such attacks occur again, that they will also react and any untoward consequence should be the sole responsibility of the government.
It said in the late evening of February 3, the NSCN (IM) cadres who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons had rounded up Molnom Village, near Pallel.
Three youth of the village namely Thangminlal, 19, Benjamin, 23, and Shokholun, 20, who had gone out to take bath in the Tuisiloh stream which is located in the western side of the village after play volleyball were stopped by the outfit, it said.
The joint statement also claimed that they were tortured and physically assaulted and hearing their shouting, womenfolk of the village rushed towards the stream believing that the youth were fighting in inebriated conditions.
When Gigin ran towards the spot, the NSCN (IM) cadres fired towards him injuring him severely, it said.