Imphal, Aug 10 : A mass protest rally is being collectively organised by the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur, ATSUM, All Naga Students’ Association Manipur, ANSAM, Kuki Students’ Organisation, KSO-GHQ, CDSU Churachandpur, NSUC Chandel, TKS Ukhrul, SDSA Senapati and ZSUM Tamenglong on August 11 at the district headquarters of all the hill districts to protest against the recent Cabinet decision to deploy state police commandos and IRBs in the hill districts.
According to a statement of the ATSUM signed by Robert Leivom, assistant secretary of the union, the rally will also condemn the impunity given to the state forces, especially the Manipur commandos and IRBs through the AFSPA even though it is not in force in Imphal’s municipal areas. With the state forces’ past record and the recent incident in which two persons were killed and five others injured in the heart of the city in broad daylight on July 23, the students organisation demands reversal of the state Cabinet decision, the union said.
The statement also mentioned that the state government has the right to place its forces anywhere in the state, but the Manipur commandos and IRBs could not be termed a security force going by their misdeeds. It was there for all the tribals in the hill districts to see the kind of law and order that is being maintained in the valley by these forces, it said while observing that there was hardly a day when incidents of doubtful nature resulting in the death of civilians happened in the valley, not to mention the rampant harassment of civilians at every given opportunity.
Urging the state government to reverse the Cabinet decision on deployment in the five hill districts, the union appealed to all the tribal people in the five hill districts to come out and actively participate in the rallies.