KANGPOKPI, February 17: The Panikhetti village chairman, who was assaulted along with his wife and three daughters and one of their neighbours on February 13, has disclosed today that they were assaulted on charges of accepting an emergency meeting circular of the Kuki National Front (KNF).
Panikhetti village under Kangpokpi police station in Sadar Hills administration chairman Nar Bahadur Adhikari, his wife Kamala Adhikari along with his three daughters namely Kausila, Premika and Pushpa and a neighbor Kubir were allegedly assaulted by neighbouring villagers of Tapon Naga on February 13 morning at around 11 am.
Speaking to media persons this evening at Kangpokpi Christian Hospital, Nar Bahadur Adhikari claimed that on February 11 he received an emergency meeting circulation of KNF where it was stated that the meeting would be held at 3 pm in Panikhetti village.
“On February 13 morning at around 10 am four youths of Tapon Naga village came to our residence and brutally assaulted my wife on charge of telling lies when she responded to their query of my whereabouts that I have gone to T Waichong for an emergency work,” he said.
“Later, they picked me up from T.Waichong and started assaulting me when we cross the river on charge of accepting KNF emergency meeting circulation even while I clarified that I have no knowledge and connection with the meeting circulation.”
They asked me, “Why did you accept the KNF meeting in our (Naga) areas?”, said Nar Bahadur Adhikari while adding that you cannot do whatever you wish in our areas.
Nar Bahadur Adhikari further recounted that the four even brutally assaulted him in front of his wife who lay unconscious due to their brutal assault and three daughters.
He said the four did not even spare his three daughters when they tried to defend him from their assault and they further assaulted my wife who regain consciousness.
He also recalled that after the brutal assault in my residence they took him to Tapon Naga Village and subjected him to a severe torture inside a house while adding that they later released him after warning him not to disclose anything to anyone.
“They also assaulted me for my role in the MDC election in support of the Congress candidate and in the area GB election for favoring Ram Bahadur Kharki,” he claimed.
“They slapped, kicked and even pierce the stick which they used for thrashing my husband in my mouth”, an emotional Kamala Adhikari said and added that even my three daughters were not spared from the brutal assault.
“They asked me the whereabouts of my husband and I humbly told them that he went to T. Waichong for an emergency work but they started assaulting me on charge of telling lies, Kamala continued before adding that I laid there unconscious due their brutality.”
Nar Bahadur Adhikari also identified the name of three among the four youths who have brutally assaulted them to the police personnel and 25 Assam Rifles Kangpokpi and Thonglang Akutpa Post but till now there is no action initiated against the four accused.
He identified the accused as D. Changbu, Nangchangbu and Solomon while he could not identify the other one. They all are native of Tapon Naga Village, he added.
Meanwhile, United Kalapahar Development Administrative Society, Kalapahar Bazar Development Board, Kalapahar Gorkha Youth Association and Mahila Mandal, Kalapahar have jointly registered their condemnation over the Panikhetti assault incident today.
The Gorkha bodies alleged that Gorkha community has been frequently subjected to physical tortured and harassment in Irang Part-II and the recent incident is not the beginning.
“The brutality of Tapon Naga youths is intolerable and unacceptable for the Gorkha community in particular and all communities in general”, said Kalapahar Gorkha bodies while drawing the attention of all community civil bodies to condemn and cooperate to culminate such discrimination in the area.
The Kalapahar Gorkha bodies also urged the law enforcement authority to initiate immediate action in booking the culprits while expressing their astonishment over the delay in action even after providing all detailed information about the culprits by the victims.
In the meantime, All Manipur Gorkha Students’ Union also condemned the brutality of Tapon Naga villagers over the Chairman of Panikhetti village and his family including his wife and daughters.