Incidents of killing Manipuris in Nagaland on the rise

IMPHAL, August 3: There is considerable concern among the people and Government of Manipur over the increasing number of Manipuris getting killed in many parts of Nagaland. There have also been scathing comments in some local newspapers and taking to task the Chief Minister and Home Minister W Nipamacha for their failure to ensure that the lives and properties of the people of Manipur, now residing in Nagaland, are protected. Following the recent killings of two Manipuris in Nagaland a number of organisations had pressurised Nipamacha to take some concrete steps. He had announced that he will personally talk to his Nagaland counterpart S.C. Jamir when the Chief Ministers of the Northeastern states meet in New Delhi to submit memorandum to the Prime Minister for financial concessions and the like. Nipamacha has not taken the people into confidence on whether he had talked with Jamir in Delhi or whether he had succeeded in extracting assurances on the protection of the lives and properties of the Manipuri settlers in Nagaland. Even if such an assurance was given to Nipamacha it is by now clear that it was a mere lip service. Because within a few days another Manipuri who had been running a shop selling fruits, vegetables and other consumer items at Jakhama where the Army headquarters is located was stabbed to death. In all cases, the police were caught napping and so far no investigation has been instituted. The number of Manipuris in general, the Meiteis and the Tangkhuls in particular, who stay in various parts of Nagaland is legion. They are either Government employees or traders. Some of the Meiteis also have motor workshops. In the past several Tangkhuls were badgered and shot dead. From time to time there had been reports on the killings of taxi drivers, small time traders, and low-rung Government employees by the criminals of all hues. Now that the Nagaland Chief Minister has not taken up any steps for the protection of the lives and properties of the people of Manipur, indications are that Nipamacha will be armstwisted to take up some firm steps. Because there is a allround dissension that these Manipuris who are law abiding citizens are killed in the most gruesome manner and yet nothing has been done to round up the ruthless killers. Apart from these unprovoked killings, there have been several border skirmishes and unavoidable harassment of the people of Manipur by the villagers and students of Nagaland. In the past it was common practice for the Nagaland villagers to sneak into many villages in Senapati district for poaching, felling trees, harvesting the verdant paddy crops and the like. On one occasion the marauding villagers had burnt the Liyai Khunou village to cinders, following a stand-off. On a number of occasions personnel of the Nagaland Armed Police have been making incursions into the Manipur territory to kidnap villagers. These villagers had reportedly objected to the intrusions by the Nagaland villagers. These kidnapped villagers had been released only when the Chief Secretary of Manipur took serious steps and had informed the Central Government. On the occasion several employees of the forest department of Manipur was forced to go to Dzouku Valley in Manipur following reports that the Nagaland Government was bent on encroaching upon this valley. The officials had taken some local guides from Mao. Since the Manipur Government has not constructed a road leading to the valley as yet they took a long detour through Nagaland. Angami students "arrested" the officials and guides as if Manipur were in a foreign country! Instead of intervening, the Nagaland government sent the officials and villagers to jail. The Government persistently refused to set them free, despite the fact that they had committed no crime under the law of the land. Having no alternative the Manipur Government had approached the Central Government with full facts and figures. Under the direct intervention from the Union Home Minister, all of them had been released. But then the bad memory still lingers in the minds of the people and officials in Manipur.