IMPHAL, February 14: The All Naga Students’ Manipur (ANSAM) strongly condemned the harassment to Naga Students’ Federation (an apex Naga students’ body) team this morning at 6:30 am at Mantripukhri by the Manipur Police Commando.
ANSAM demanded an apology from the concerned authorities and a promise that they will discipline their personnel to respect citizen and human rights.
In a statement, Information and Publicity Secretary of ANSAM, James Inka said that the NSF team was on the way from Kohima to attend the LUI-NGAI-NI festival at Ukhrul.
They claimed that they were stopped by the Manipur police commando led by an SI on a white gypsy bearing registration no. MN 01K 0350.
The police not only checked, frisked and seized mobile phone but were abused and provoked in very communal tones.
ANSAM observed that “had it not been for the passersby who started gathering, ANSAM suspects that Manipur Police Commando had the motive to physically make them disappear as they had already called for a truck and reinforcement to take them away”.
The tribals have been experiencing such violence and brutalities regularly and ANSAM said it is not surprised but questioned as to why civil police commit and perpetrates such violent and communal harassment against civilians, the statement added.