Manipur: RPF debunks police charge

Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 20 2009: Referring to a news report published on September 16, about the arrest of AMUCO publicity secretary Likmabam Tompok (50) of Maklang Mayai Leikai, Thiyam Dinesh (39) of Sega Road Takhellambam Leikai, AMUCO finance secretary Chungsel Koireng (39) of Thangmeiband Koireng Khul, assistant finance secretary Irom Brojen (40) of Haorang Khunou, assistant finance secretary Amom Soken (41) of Wangoo Tera, assistant secretary Taorem Ramananda (50) of Patsoi Part I, AMESCO general secretary Samjetsabam Nando (48) of Pangei Awang Leikai and CCDD joint secretary Yumnam Jiten (32) of Kwakeithel Mayai Koibi on September 14, the proscribed RPF has debunked the reported police allegation that the arrested civil society leaders were planning a meeting with the RPF/PLA.

A press release issued by the outfit’s department of publicity chief GM Changjou decried the act of mentioning RPF/PLA in the charge sheet filed by police. The arrest of the civil society leaders was a meticulously planned move of Manipur Police to give a severe blow to the activities of civil societies, it remarked.

Noting that civil society organisations and other organisations working for the people used to communicate amongst each other as and when situation demanded, but at times people saw one organisation disapproving or keeping itself away from an activity taken up by another organisation. Such incoherence among civil organisations could be observed in the ongoing people’s movement against the July 23 killings, remarked the outfit.

This might be due to the small size of Manipur or the presence of many ethnic groups or may be because of the Government of India’s ‘divide and rule’ policy. Such incoherence has been presenting Manipur as a land ridden with groupism/factionalism. But in the aftermath of the July 23 Khwairamband killing, such groupism seemed to have been shut out from the society, at least for sometime.

Civil society organisations, student bodies, Meira Paibi organisations and different JACs have been coordinating closely for the mass movement, the outfit observed. Noting that many leaders of different civil society organisations have been detained under NSA on different fabricated charges after the State Government could not subdue the people’s movement, the outfit questioned the motive of Manipur Police for taking the name of RPF/PLA while levelling charges against civil society leaders.

It sounds absurd that a meeting was being organised at the office of a civil society organisation with members of RPF/PLA near Kwakeithel Bazar. The allegation that RPF/PLA was interfering in the activities of a civil society organisation and that it was holding a meeting at a place where there is heavy security deployment cannot be anything but a blatant lie, the outfit asserted.

This was a great deceit cooked up by Manipur Police to heap fabricated charges upon innocent people. The State Government was seeking an excuse to tell New Delhi that it was unable to subdue the people’s movement as the movement was carried out at the behest of insurgents. The Manipur Police may detain, imprison or kill innocent people and they should bear the results of their own actions. However, RPF/PLA strongly condemned the act of taking its name in their (police) effort to level fabricated charges against innocent people.

In case, Manipur Police continue to indulge in such awkward practices, the outfit would not remain a mute spectator. Higher ranking officials of Manipur Police may face difficult situations, it cautioned. E-pao