“We all know that the incident was never an attempt to show resentment to the government as claimed but it was a direct attack on civilians with the intention of disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of Ukhrul District”, says Tangkhul Naga Long
TFM Ukhrul Correspondent
Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the apex body of Tangkhul Community, has strongly condemned the bomb blast at Gandhi Chowk, Phungreitang, Ukhrul on January 25 at around 5pm. TNL stated that the blast was intended to disturb the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in Ukhrul district.
In a press conference held on Monday, the TNL on behalf of all the Tangkhuls have sent out a message to all concerned
“1. That, we don’t accept bomb culture in our society and we will not tolerate such cowardly act in any form
2. We all know that the incident was never an attempt to show resentment to the government as claimed but it was a direct attack on the civilians with the intention of disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of Ukhrul District.
3. It is also to remind the so called PREPAK that Nagas have nothing to do with the Merger Agreement signed in 1949 between the Maharaja of Manipur and Governor General of India. They should also know that we have never been part of India either by consent or conquest.
4. Hence, the Nagas have been asserting for our rights to self-determination for the past seven decades to become second longest struggling nation and after much struggle, cease-fire agreement was signed in 1997, which was followed by signing of the historic Framework Agreement in 2015 between government of India and NSCN (I-M) as two separate entity based on the unique history of the Nagas.
5. Therefore, non-state actors like the PREPAK should not indulge or carry out such terrorist act in our land”.
The TNL has now demanded the government of Manipur that CCTVs should be installed at the earliest from Dungrei Junction, Hungpung to Kharasom Junction, Hunphun. Apart from this, the organisation has asked the government to deploy enough police personnel to ensure that such unwanted incident is avoided in the future.
The victims of the bomb blast at Gandhi Chowk should be adequately compensated, said TNL and added that the concerned authority should immediately investigate into the incident and book the perpetrators at the earliest.
It is worth mentioning that the bomb blast on January 25 injured four civilians. One injured victim, Manaowon is still undergoing treatment at JNIMS, Imphal. The four injured persons have been identified as Manaowon (female) 49 years from Chingai village, Dr. Wonyao Kasar (35 years) from Phungyar, Angayung Rizat (39 years) male from Lamlang Village and P. Leishingam (37 years) from Roni Village.