Newmai News Network
SENAPATI, OCT 31: The All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has accused the Arambai Tengol Unit-18 of torturing two Nagas today.
While strongly condemning the incident, the apex Naga student body in Manipur, while taking this incident with serious concern, “strongly urged the responsible authority in the state to take up swift expeditious and befitting actions against the perpetrators involved in committing such barbaric act and justice is delivered as per the law of the land”.
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Narrating the sequence of the incident, the ANSAM, in a statement made available to Newmai News Network tonight, said that, on October 31, 2024, around 2 am, a “very unfortunate incident” took place at Lamshang, Imphal, where two Naga civilians namely V. Hrangao Blesson Poumai, son of Veino from Kodom Khullen village, and Dalou Poumai, son of Hriinii from Liyai Khullen village was physically assaulted and “seriously tortured” by members of Arambai Tengol (AT) Unit-18 while they were returning from a livestock purchase in Thoubal. “Despite the victims’ disclosure about their identities as Poumai Naga from Senapati district, they were stopped, detained and dragged into their Unit 18 AT Camp and subjected to serious physical torture leaving behind multiple injuries and bruises on their body. They were also repeatedly threatened with automatic rifles and a sum of Rs. 61,400 (sixty one thousand four hundred) was seized from them at gunpoint,” the Naga student body alleged.
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The ANSAM strongly condemned this “bestial act of the Arambai Tengol (AT) towards the innocent Naga civilians”. The ANSAM also said such “vicious acts of the AT who claim themselves to be an organisation formed to defend their community land, protect its people and stand for the cause in the name of peace tantamount to a self operating system of a brutish defaming their legacy and its existence”. The Naga student body said the barbaric acts of AT upon the innocent civilians is highly questionable and condemnable by all.
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The ANSAM then said that Nagas in Manipur have been maintaining the position of neutrality since the beginning of the mayhem going on between two warring communities of the state. It also said restoring the prevailing situation back to its normalcy has always been our utmost priority as a peace loving community while also condemning all forms of violence that is reeling in the state. “We have neither supported nor stood as an agency to any of the warring communities. Unfortunately, to our utter shock and dismay, Nagas are always becoming the victims of today’s conflict as witnessed from various incidents and crimes repeatedly committed towards the Naga civilians by both the warring communities despite our repeated appeal to understand our position,” the ANSAM added.
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