GUWAHATI: Protestors pelted stones outside the heavily-guarded Raj Bhawan in Manipur even as the police recovered the body of an ex-serviceman on Monday.Videos circulating on social media showed the protestors pelting stones and the security personnel chasing them away by using force. The incident reportedly followed scuffles between the protestors and the personnel.Students across Imphal West, Kakching and Thoubal districts had taken out massive rallies against fresh violence in the ethnic violence-hit state that left nine persons dead and over a dozen others injured.Holding placards and banners, thousands of them came out wearing their uniform despite schools in the state remaining closed on the day as per a government order.The protestors chanted slogans outside the Raj Bhavan, demanding that security advisor Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh and 50 MLAs resign “on moral grounds”. The state has 60 MLAs, including 10 each from Naga and Kuki-Zo communities.Further, they demanded that the charge of Unified Command be handed over to the state government and the paramilitary forces leave the state for remaining “mute spectators”.They expressed concerns over the recent rocket and drone bombing attacks and incidents of killings and arson and slammed the Centre and the state government for failing to contain the situation.The peculiar identity crises in the NortheastIn Thoubal and Kakching districts, the protestors demanded the protection of the state’s territorial integrity and abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement signed with two umbrella organisations of Kuki insurgent groups.Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Manipur opposed the CM’s reported demand raised before the governor on Sunday that the charge of Unified Command be handed over to the state government so it can effectively deal with the situation.”This is nothing short of an attempt to intensify the ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Kuki-Zo people. CM N Biren Singh has time and again displayed his bias against our community,” the tribal organisation said in a statement.The ex-serviceman was found dead in the Imphal West district. He hailed from Motbung Saron Veng in the Kangpokpi district. The body of Limkholal Mate was found lying in a pool of blood in Sekmai area, the police said.His son, Thangminlun Mate, lodged an FIR with the Kangpokpi police stating that the former Assam Regiment personnel was killed after abduction. He said the deceased was reported missing since he had gone out to buy hardware items at Shantipur, Kanglatongbi on Sunday around 5 pm.”Around 5:40 am today, I came to learn through WhatsApp that my father was mercilessly killed at Phumiou area,” the son wrote in the FIR and demanded action against those involved.
Source link
