IMPHAL, Nov 3: The Rongmei Naga Students’ Organisation, Manipur (RNSOM) and the Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation, Manipur(RNYOM) jointly condemned the “heinous and inhumane physical assault and torture” of V Hrangao Blesson Poumai of Kodom Khullen and Dalou Poumai of Liyai Khullen village, belonging to Poumai Naga community from Senapati district, in the wee hours of October 31, 2024 at Lamsang area while the duo was on the way back to senapati, by people “suspected to be from the Arambai Tengol and some valley based underground cadres”. The two men are daily wage earners who came to Thoubal and brought some cattle to sell in the Senapati district to support their families, the two Rongmei bodies said in a joint statement signed by Ripuilan Pamei, president of RNSOM, and Kamei Meikhangsuang, president of RNYOM issued to Newmai News Network this evening.
The joint statement then said, “It may be noted that the Naga people in their consultative meeting held on May 16, 2023, under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC) unanimously decided to maintain neutrality in the ongoing Kuki-Zomi-Hmar and Meetei ethnic conflict”. That meeting further decided to play the role of peacemaker in between the two conflicting communities, the statement also said. Accordingly, the UNC had also constituted a peace committee to bridge the two conflicting parties, and the said committee had also reached out to both sides in the recent past, the Rongmei bodies added.
However, the RNSOM and the RNYOM and the Rongmei people in general are taken aback to note that the two daily bread earning innocent Naga public were not only physically assaulted but also extorted their money which they had been earning with their sweat and labour to support their families. “Despite the Naga people maintaining neutrality, why time and again the valley based militants and militias have been targeting the innocent Naga public including hijacking vehicles and extorting money?” the two Rongmei organisations asked.
The RNSOM and the RNYOM demanded that the culprits involved in the “brutal assault” of V. Hrangao Blesson Poumai and Dalou Poumai should be brought to book and initiate punitive actions according to the law of the land.
Therefore, the two organisations urged both the Government of Manipur and the valley based civil society organisations to discipline them not to repeat such “unwanted and uncivilized acts of physical assaulting and extorting money and properties of the innocent Naga public in the near future so that tranquility and normal situation between the Naga public and the valley people would not be disturbed”.
The RNSOM and the RNYOM then said they will fully support any action as and when the apex Naga body initiated in the larger interest of Naga public.
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