Day: February 7, 2012

Imphal, Feb 7 NNN: Villagers of Itham Moirangpurel in Imphal East district caught four Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) militants, who were allegedly extorting money from trucks. A team of BSF personnel took him away .
The incident occurred at around 12:30 pm at the village of Itham Moirangpurel under Lamlai police station when four cadres of KLA, which is also a signatory to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) involving both the State and Central Governments, were manhandled by a mob while they were extorting money which they called “annual tax” from sand loaded trucks by issuing KLA receipts.
The irate mob handed the four militants to the 13th Battalion of BSF, station at the Dollaithabi hill range near the village before they were severely thrashed. The BSF later handed them over to Lamlai police station.
The extortionists KLA (Lulun group) militants were identified as Hopo, 24, from Changingpokpi village, Helin, 23 from Aigyang village near Sawongbung, Sunboy L J Soupo, 35 from Bongyang village and MNG Thang, 17, also from Aigyang village.
The villagers claimed that the Kuki brothers have been living together with them since many, many years in the same village, but they (Kuki militants) have indulged in extortion for the last about two years by serving monitory notes to the Moirangpural villagers.
“This is not the first time that the villagers here foiled such extortion attempt, but three to four times had already happened where the villagers caught militants who tried to extort money, particularly from trucks,” Moirangpurel Meira Paibi organization secretary, Kaboklei said.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/kuki-militants-thrashed-by-irate-public/

Mail News Service
Imphal, Feb 7: Reacting to the statement of Congress(I) president Shri Gaikhagam, the working president of Manipur State Congress Party Shri Kh. Debabratta while meeting the media at party office said, the re-pol in 54/9, Tupul was peaceful till 3.15 p.m. but after that an EVM was set up in another room by lighting a generator where 145 voters were recorded in presence of Congress(I) workers. He charged the present govt. who failed to take up necessary legal actions against the MSCP candidate Adin Pamei who was reportedly backed by ZUF. The working president of MSCP was of the view that the presiding officer in collusion with the candidate of Cingress(I) tried to tuist the re-poll which was held at Tupul under 54/9, Nungba A/C on February four. He said that it was unbelievable as the congress president said that the button was touched unintentionally. Whether he was trying to defend the PO He should be said by PO for this, the attention of CEo has been drawn.
One Thoibi Golmei, MSCP Mahila unit who also took part in the press conference said, the press release of Congress(I) president and and chief agent, Shri John entered the room where poll was done and asked to re-poll the EVM though the Po has closed dawn the re-poll at 3.15. He shot several rounds in order to threaten the gathering.
He along with some persons forcibly made to cast at least 145 votes in the second EVM in a separate room by lighting a generator.
This morning around four a.m. a combined team of Noney PS and AR came to the houses of inner agent of MSCP and searched the house, Thoibi further informed the media.
The working president was of the view that an enquiry should be instituted in order to bring the facts in connection with the re-poll.
The militant outfit Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) today criticized Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Gaikhangam for “repeatedly accusing” the former of interfering in the recent Manipur polls, which the militant group claimed it was never involved.
ZUF Joint secretary, A. Remroi in a statement said the “cunning guy” posing as MPCC president (Gaikhangam) is not loyal to the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) Government headed by O Ibobi, the AICC in Delhi and the UPA Government at the Centre as he often played hide and seek game against the Chief Minister of Manipur that everybody has seen and understood.
The outfit reiterated that any involvement in the electoral game anywhere in the Zeliangrong region and elsewhere will not bring the desired solidarity and conservation of land and resources belonging to the Zeliangrong, Inpui, Chiru, Kom and tribes in the Indian sub-continent of South East Asia it aspired, saying that the front adhered to the collective decision/resolution of non-political involvement in the electoral process, especially during the recent elections to the 10th Manipur Assembly.
It also said it strongly “agitated with anguish” over the contemptuous attitude of Gaikhangam, who has repeatedly blamed the front for all the false charges from the very beginning with regard to its involvement in the election process. The MPCC president even secretly organized armed cadres with combat dresses and weapons in a calculated design to throw the blame on different underground organizations to gain electoral mileage, ZUF alleged.
It added, the people cannot forget his past record of events when many rival supporters were injured by gun shots or physical attack and that vehicle were destroyed or pushed down the gorges at Longpi circle in 2002 and elsewhere ballot boxes were thrown out and they were often found in a field in Nungba Constituency. In 1990, a rival election office, namely Taolingpung at Namkaolong village part-II was attacked by his armed gang that injured many from gun shots and the villagers were also tortured even as rupees one lakh fine was imposed in the village during the re-poll in Taosang polling station when his armed gang along with some outfits imposed a boycott against rival voters. Gaikhangam also used a few militant cadres in connivance with his armed gang during his election campaign in 2007 and this time, for the 2012 elections, he played a hidden game of criminalization of politics.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/mscp-zuf-deny-congress-chiefs-allegations/