Nilkamal’s martyrdom immortalised, bust unveiled

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 25: Immor-talising the supreme sacrifice made by Waikhom Nilkamal alias Boycha who died de-fending innocent people from the onslaught of Kuki narco-terrorists, a bust of the martyr was unveiled today at his residence at Kongpal Khai-dem Leikai, Imphal East.
Led by family members, MLA Heikham Dingo and former COCOMI Coordinator Ningombam Jitendra, a large number of people paid floral tributes to the bust and recalled the sacrifice made by Nilkamal.
Speaking at the solemn function, Waikhom (ongbi) Tondon said that her son (Waikhom Nilkamal) and many other sons of the soil have laid down their lives  while defending the integrity of Manipur and protecting innocent people.
She said that many more sons of the soil are always prepared to follow their path, if necessary, in order to defend Manipur and protect innocent people from the onslaught of Kuki narco-terrorists.
Even though the violence seemed to have subsided outwardly, the Kuki narco-terrorists have not yet given up their belligerence, she said.
It was the abject failure of the Central Government and the State Government which compelled a large number of youth to volunteer and fight the Kuki narco-terrorists in order to protect vulnerable villages.
Decrying that the State Government has been paying little attention to the people’s outcry for an end to the protracted violence, Tondon urged the Government to try to understand the people’s suffering.
Former COCOMI coordinator Ningombam Jitendra recalled that Waikhom Nilkamal died while defending Senjam Chirang village from the onslaught of Kuki narco-terrorists on June 29, 2023.
Even though Manipur has been literally burning for over three years, the Government is yet to take up any strong or decisive action against the aggressors, he said.
Many have laid down their lives defending innocent people and one of them was former Indian Navy officer Waikhom Nilkamal.
Nilkamal could not sit back and watch silently when innocent people were massacred and their homes burnt down. That was why,  he volunteered to fight the aggressors, Jitendra said.
He said that there are a large number of youth who are ever ready to even sacrifice their own lives for the cause of Manipur.
Even as almost all sections of people have been asking to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and weed out all illegal immigrants, the Government has been maintaining a deafening silence, he decried.
Categorically stating that the protracted and widespread violence was engineered by immigrant Kukis and they took the Kukis already settled in the State under their influence, Jitendra underscored the urgent need for updating the NRC and weeding out illegal immigrants.
He asserted that the only way to bring lasting peace in the State is identification and deportation of all illegal immigrants.