IMPHAL, March 18: Various civil society organizations working together with the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) on Monday protested against the bomb attack at the house of the president of the FOCS on Sunday night.
Miscreants lobbed a hand grenade at the house of FOCS president Thoidingjam Manihar at Kongba Uchekon under the Irilbung Police Station of Imphal East district on Sunday night at around 9 pm.
The grenade, however, did not explode. Personnel of the police bomb detection and disposal squad called by the Irilbung police station safely defused the bomb and later disposed of at the foothill of Awaching in Imphal East the same night.
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Denouncing the bomb attack, residents of Kongba Uchekon on Monday staged a sit-in-protest at the locality.
While denouncing the attack, the protesters demanded clarification if a group is responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, FOCS and other organisations strongly condemned the lobbing of the hand grenade at the house of FOCS’s president Th Manihar.
The attack was an act of cowardly people, the leaders of the organisations told the reporters at a press conference held at the office of the Manipur Women Federation (MWF) at Kakwa in Imphal East district on Monday.
Vice president of FOCS, BM Yaima Shah said that it is not a thing to be done by intelligent people or groups in this time of crisis.
He said that Manihar has been playing a significant role played during the time of crisis since the ethnic strife broke out in the state on May 3 last year.
Manihar has been leading FOCS and the organisations collaborating with it since the very beginning of the crisis and he is dedicated to the welfare of the people, he said.
He said that the FOCS and the organisations took the bomb attack at Manihar’s house as a symbolic attack on all them.
The vice president said that instead of threatening them with bomb, it would be better to hold talks and bring about an understanding on any issue which might have prompted the bomb attack.
He further urged the perpetrator(s) to come forward and clarify the motive behind the bomb attack.
Leaders of as many as 12 organisations were also present on the occasion. (NNN)
