Imphal, April 25 (NNN):The Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) has accused the Assam Rifles of committing what it called a “barbaric act” injuring two civilians critically.
Condemning what it termed as “the reckless and barbaric act” of the Assam Rifles on Saturday at Talui, Hoomi and Vokngayar (Hoomi), the TNL said two civilians, Rose Vashum (47) of Talui village and Mashunphong Zingkhai (32) of Hoomi Village were left in critical conditions.
According to the TNL, around 9:15 am on Saturday, women volunteers at Hoomi Vokngayar had halted two vehicles (Bolero jeep and a van) carrying 8 Assam Rifles personnel along the Ukhrul-Tadubi road. Owing to the sensitive situation in the district, the women volunteers had asked the personnel to show their identification cards, said the TNL. They were detained for the time being while waiting for the Working Committee of the TNL to reach the spot for further verification to ascertain the facts of the incident and to verify the identity of the Assam Rifles personnel, said the TNL. “Due necessary verification and documentation was being carried out and one of the vehicles had already been given passage when around 1 pm a Casspir vehicle belonging to the Assam Rifles accompanied by other vehicles came towards Talui”, it added.
The women of Talui had formed a civil barricade at the village entrance but the Casspir truck drove past the civil barricade with a complete disregard for human life, forcing the women to run helter-skelter for their lives, alleged the TNL. In the incident, Rose Vashum of Talui village received fatal injuries on her head. At the moment, she remains semi-conscious and in critical condition and has been referred to Imphal for advanced medical care, the Tangkhul body added.
Following this, the Assam Rifles drove towards Hoomi Vokngayar where they were met by another group of women volunteers at the intersection leading towards Hoomi and Kachai village, the TNL said. “Here, the Assam Rifles resorted to firing to disperse the crowd before barraging through the crowd again. towards Hoomi Vokngayar. During the firing, Mashunphong Zingkhai (32) of Hoomi village sustained a bullet wound on the side of his head and is currently being operated upon”, it added.
However, half a kilometre before reaching Hoomi Vokngayar, both the vehicles and all the Assam Rifles personnel were allowed to pass and they returned to Ukhrul, said the TNL.
The Working Committee of the TNL conveyed to the Assam Rifles that there will be no reckless movement within the jurisdiction of the Tangkhul Nagas without prior information to the competent civil society organisations.
The Working Committee of the TNL demanded the Assam Rifles to immediately take criminal action against the commander and personnel for the reckless attempt on life of civilians and the fatal injuries of the two.
The TNL said the Tangkhul Nagas have, for too long, tolerated the atrocities meted out by the “Indian security forces” under the shadow of the draconian AFSPA. “Our patience has worn thin and we will not sit idle and allow more of such atrocities to happen in our land”, it added.
