7th May, 2013
Dr. Manmohan Singh
The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,
South Block
New Delhi
Hon’ble Sir,
Attack of Silent Tangkhul village by Saijang (Meitei) and burning down of 36 houses – Request for urgent intervention thereto by Government of India.
Silent Tangkhul Naga village in Senapati District of Manipur with about 500 population was attacked by a large number of well organised and armed people from the neighbouring Saijang (Meitei) village at about 10.30 am of 3rd May, 2013 and 36 (thirty-six) houses were burnt down. Properties worth crores of rupees were reduced to cinders and hundreds of villagers were rendered homeless. The nearest Police station, Lamlai P.S. , located just a few kms away from the village 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. Many of them were masked. Some of the Silent villagers were locked up from outside by the attackers before setting their houses on fire. They fortunately escaped being burnt to death by breaking open the doors/walls of the houses as the fire engulfed the houses.
We have drawn the attention of your good office on the matter for urgent intervention through our public statement dated 4th May, 2013 and we are making this submission again to urge for the urgent intervention of your good office as under –
1. We maintain that the act of burning down of houses by holding up the villagers with threat of use of arms and weapons is an act of terrorism. The culprits and perpetrators who have claimed the act and justified it on the ground of dispute over ownership of land on which the burnt houses stood must be booked under the law of the land.
After the ghastly episode, the Cabinet of the GoM have taken a decision that nobody would be allowed to enter into the disputed land and consequently 144 CRPC has been imposed in the area on which the burnt houses stood. This is a one-sided decision and is clearly in favour of the Saijang Meitei and endorses the terror crime of burning of houses. This is against the law of the land and communal in response and must be nullified by the Government of India.
2. On the pretext of providing security from further attack on Silent village, the communal Government of Manipur(GoM) has sent about 40 personnel of the state police force to Silent village. As you are well aware of their track record, the State police force is communal and biased towards the tribals and have been responsible for excessive violent actions in the tribal areas. Posting them for security of Silent village has on the contrary made the villagers more insecure. Further the State police force personnel sent for security of Silent village have occupied the areas in which families whose houses have been burnt are taking shelter in makeshift camps made with tarpaulins and with whatever they could get. This is causing great inconveniences to the victim families, particularly to the womenfolk and the children as their privacies and decencies have been invaded upon. We request that the State police force may be immediately replaced by Central Forces, ie either by the Central Reserve Police Force or the Assam Rifles, who may set up camp in a suitable location in consultation with the Silent village council.
3. We urge for immediate payment of appropriate compensation to the victims whose houses were burnt and properties destroyed by the attackers directly by the Centre because there is no trust and confidence in the GoM in fulfilling its bounden responsibilities without bias as amply demonstrated by their one-sided Cabinet decision mentioned above.
Having placed the above before you, we reiterate again that the situation in the State of Manipur is highly sensitive and volatile due to the sharp social divide on communal lines. It is our repeated view and concern that many more such explosion, in intensive and extensive magnitude will inevitably take place unless the Government of India intervene with an alternative arrangement outside the Government of Manipur for the Nagas and tribals in the state.
We therefore place our trust in the Prime Minister of India for urgent interventions as demanded by the situation of the day and hope that the submission will be taken up with due seriousness and sense of urgency.
Yours faithfully
(L. ADANI) (GAIDON KAMEI)
President General Secretary
Enclosed : 1. Copy of UNC Press Statement dated 4th May, 2013.
Copy for information and necessary action to :-
Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, Hon’ble Home Minister, Government of India, North Block, Delhi.
Shri Shambhu Singh, Jt. Secretary (North East), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, North Block, Delhi.
– General Secretary