UKHRUL: The Central Working Committee (CWC), Tangkhul Naga Foothills’s Organisation (TNFO) on Sunday rebutted the “false accusation” of the lhang-Bungpi Working Committee that accused NSCN-IM Tangkhul militants of carrying out despicable attack to the villagers of Tingpibung on Saturday and demanded immediate retraction of the 24-hour ultimatum.
The TNFO denied the averment made by the lhang-Bungpi Working Committee about the Saturday incident at Sinakeithei village which was allegedly pictured in stark contradiction of the actual event.
It claimed that the incident involving terrified local farmers of Sinakeithei village at around 2:50 to 3 pm of March 7 by barrage of heavy gunfire was strategically carried out by the Kuki Militants along with armed Kuki volunteers using automatic rifles.
Also Read | Ukhrul: Firing Reported at Sinakeithei; VA Submits Memorandum Seeking State Security Deployment
“The fact is the exact location of the gunfire occurred at Thingen Luipani within the territorial jurisdiction of Sinakeithei Tangkhul village. The deliberate intention of fabricating the event and their blunt technique of playing victim card clearly unveils the blatant lie that the farmers of Tingpibung Kuki village were engaged in farm works within the territory of Sinakeithei Tangkhul village. particularly in this high-tense situation. Such claims are therefore illogical, misleading, and entirely baseless,” it stated.
The CWC, INFO asserted that Tangkhul Naga villagers residing in the foothill areas are peace-loving communities who have always upheld the principles of mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence with other communities over generations, with lots of patience, forgiveness, and compromises on the basis of Tangkhul Naga Customary laws.
Also Read | The Ukhrul Problem: When ‘Self-Importance’ Fails a Generation
It also cautioned that the repeated actions of intimidation, assault, beating and provocation against the Tangkhul Naga people residing in the foothill areas of Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts will no longer be tolerated.
The CWC, TNFO demanded the Ihang-Bungpi Working Committee to immediately retract the24-hour ultimatum demanding arrest of the alleged culprits (NSCN-IM Tangkhul militants) who are accused of being responsible for the heavy gun fire incident, as the allegation is a “gross fallacy”.
Otherwise, the lhang-Bungpi Working Committee will be held entirely responsible for any untoward communal conflict, it added.