Rescue missing women, children or face people’s wrath: COCOMI

OSR/Correspondent
IMPHAL/JIRI Nov 12: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has warned that there will be a strong people’s protest if the Central and State security forces cannot rescue the three women and the three children who have been missing following fierce attack by Kuki terrorists at Jiribam on November 11.
Speaking to media persons at their Lamphelpat office this afternoon, COCOMI assistant coordinator Joychandra Konthoujam asserted that security forces must rescue the innocent women and children.
He went on to ask what purposes the 60,000 strong Central forces and 35,000 strong State forces are serving in Manipur if they cannot protect the lives and properties of innocent citizens.
There will be a strong mass movement if the security forces cannot rescue the missing women and children, he said.
Highlighting the recent intensified attacks by Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists during the past couple of days, the COCOMI assistant coordinator appealed to all the people living in peripheral and foothill areas to be alert.
He said that the Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists are determined to stop Meitei people from harvesting paddy.
On account of weaknesses and lapses on the part of security forces, Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists have the capability to strike Meitei villages at the time and place of their choice, Joychandra said.
If the security forces are not in a position to protect citizens from the Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists, let the people defend themselves, he said.
Militant groups under SoO agreement have been wantonly violating SoO ground rules by attacking innocent people continuously and they have been joined by militants from Myanmar.
The situation evokes a serious question whether Manipur is not a State of India or whether the Government of India and the State Government have any intention to let the crisis persist for a much longer period, Joychandra said.
Highlighting this question, he appealed to all the people to remain alert.
COCOMI media coordinator Yumkhaibam Surjitkumar Khuman said that CRPF jawans gave a befitting reply to Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists at Jakuradhor.
Had the Assam Rifles and other Central forces acted like the CRPF jawans in the past, the number of casualties would have been much lower and the violence would not have exacerbated to the current level, he said.
Meanwhile the Jiri United Committee (JUC) has asserted that the Kuki and Hmar militants managed to launch a daring attack and set ablaze a large number of Meitei houses in Borobekra sub-division of Jiribam district on November 11 due to absence of adequate number of security forces in the area.
Speaking to media persons at JIMPAL office today, JUC convenor H Priyananda said that they will launch intense modes of agitation if the six missing women and children are not rescued within 24 hours. Saying that Kuki and Hmar militants launched the audacious attack taking advantage of the limited number of security forces deployed in the area, Priyananda demanded deployment of adequate strength of security forces at Makhabosti, Jirimuk, Chotobekra outpost and Borobekra police station.