Manipur: NSCN-IM Supporters Block Road after Assam Rifles Arrest Cadres without Charges

Senapati, March 19, 2020:

The supporters of Nagaland's largest insurgent group, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, Isak Muivah faction (NSCN -IM) on Thursday took to the streets of Senapati district in Manipur following the arrest of five unarmed cadres on Wednesday.

The NSCN-IM supporters blocked the National Highway (NH-2) in Manipur leading to huge inconveniences. Several vehicles, which were plying on the route were stuck due to the road blockade by the NSCN-IM supporters.

The supporters were mainly women who demanded immediate release of the cadres. The vehicles were delayed by several hours due to the road blockade.

According to reports, the Assam Rifles had arrested five cadres of NSCN-IM without any charges from Paomata subdivision of Senapati district of Manipur.

Senapati frontal bodies have also come forward and condemned the arrest of the five unarmed NSCN-IM cadres. Their demand is to release the members within 12 hours.

The frontal organizations- Naga People's Organization (NPO), Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) and Senapati District Women's Association (SDWA), in a joint statement, condemned and accused the 34 Assam Rifles Maram Battalion of harassing the cadres by arresting them without any charges.

They have warned of serious public uproar and agitations, the organisations had demanded that the cadres be released without any conditions attached within 12 hours starting from 12 midnight on March 18 till 12 noon March 19. The supporters continue to block the roads till the filing of this report as the cadres are yet to be released.

The organisations have termed the move of Assam Rifles as a dishonor to the public's cry for peace and harmony in the district.

It may be mentioned here that the NSCN-IM has also dragged itself to the Kamjong violence issue, wherein an entire village of at least a hundred houses were burnt. A fresh war between the Kukis and Tangkhuls have surfaced, wherein the latter razed the houses of the Kukis to the ground.

While Kuki Students’ Organisations of Delhi-NCR and Chennai have termed the entire incident as a “pre-planned crime” orchestrated by the Tangkhul-led Isaak Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM), the latter have openly claimed the responsibility by blaming the former of 'provoking' them to do so.

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