Released by KNA (B) : IGAR (S) ‘Foreign aggression not mentioned’
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It is more than clear that no headway will be made in the ‘investigation’ into the case of arson and attack at three border villages in Kamjong district on May 7. A carefully crafted, precise onslaught it was, with the armed thugs ‘being given a free hand’ to torch one house after the other at the three villages of Namlee, Wanglee and Z Choro and in the process also succeeding in abducting some villagers. Two days after the incident, a high level team led by the Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam visited the affected villages and it is more than clear that the Government is not in a position to tell its left hand from the right and this is what is hard to digest. During the visit to Kamjong, the Home Minister is reported to have told the media that the term ‘foreign aggression’ was not mentioned in the report submitted to the Government. Even as the Home Minister steered clear of the involvement of a foreign hand in the arson and assault, IGAR (S) said that the local woman, Olina Ningshen was abducted by cadres of the KNA (B), where B stands for Burma, and members of the Village Volunteers Eastern Zone and later set free. A confirmation that the attack and arson was carried out by members of the KNA (B) with the IGAR (South) officially admitting the involvement of the said outfit and yet at the same time, there is the Home Minister of Manipur stating that the report submitted to the Government had no mention of the words ‘foreign aggression’. In a way it is comical that even after 48 hours of the incident having taken place, the Assam Rifles and the State Government should stick to opposing stands. Reflects how seriously the Government has taken it to study the case and take things further. It could not have been a slip of the tongue when the State Home Minister said that ‘foreign aggression’ was not mentioned and it could not have been a typo when the IGAR (S) issued a statement that the abducted woman was set free by cadres of the KNA (B) and the Village Volunteers Eastern Zone. The situation does not call for such a sloppy approach to the case at hand, for one here is talking about three places that fall under India, being attacked by militants based in a foreign country. A reflection that the State Government is not at all sincere about tackling the case or a case of the Assam Rifles ‘conveniently forgetting’ to share its inputs with the State Government ? This question is important in the backdrop of the fact that the Chief Minister himself had earlier claimed that the post of Chairman of the Unified Command is now with him. Something, somewhere just does not add up and certainly Manipur does not need this. Delhi and Imphal should be clear about the chain of command or else it will only leave the place and the people more and more confused.
‘Security gaps’ this was what Govindas Konthoujam talked about while trying to explain how three villages were allowed to be attacked and the houses torched. What were the Assam Rifles, the force responsible for guarding the border doing ? Can the international border be left to the chance of ‘security gaps ?’ If this is the case, then heads should roll. So far Manipur has not heard of any disciplinary action being initiated or is it going to be a case of hushing things up cause the moral of the troops could be hurt ? Either way it is unacceptable. It is when such ‘childish’ and totally ‘immature’ reasons are given for the security lapses that suspicion arises, such as whether the armed Kuki militants from across the border were given a freeway to come, torch the houses, open fire, abduct some villagers and then go back across the border ? The Assam Rifles have many questions to answer. No military jargon will be able to convince the people of the gaping holes in border guarding. Or will there be no explanation from the side of the Assam Rifles of the total failure to guard the border ? Is the Government serious about guarding the border ? It is also right to give a second thought to the staunch opposition put up against the decision of the Government to fence the Indo-Myanmar border.
‘Security gaps’ this was what Govindas Konthoujam talked about while trying to explain how three villages were allowed to be attacked and the houses torched. What were the Assam Rifles, the force responsible for guarding the border doing ? Can the international border be left to the chance of ‘security gaps ?’ If this is the case, then heads should roll. So far Manipur has not heard of any disciplinary action being initiated or is it going to be a case of hushing things up cause the moral of the troops could be hurt ? Either way it is unacceptable. It is when such ‘childish’ and totally ‘immature’ reasons are given for the security lapses that suspicion arises, such as whether the armed Kuki militants from across the border were given a freeway to come, torch the houses, open fire, abduct some villagers and then go back across the border ? The Assam Rifles have many questions to answer. No military jargon will be able to convince the people of the gaping holes in border guarding. Or will there be no explanation from the side of the Assam Rifles of the total failure to guard the border ? Is the Government serious about guarding the border ? It is also right to give a second thought to the staunch opposition put up against the decision of the Government to fence the Indo-Myanmar border.