NSCN (IM) on Saturday accused the Assam Rifles and Manipur Police of going belligerent to throttle it in Manipur at a time when the entire world is battling the COVID19 pandemic with lockdowns.
On Friday, sensation prevailed at Kasom Khullen in Manipur’s Kamjong district along the India-Myanmar border when a team of Assam Rifles personnel along with Manipur Police allegedly tried to enter the village to conduct an operation in the area.
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The outfit rued over “ill-timing of unwarranted provocation” of the Tangkhul Naga people in Kashung-Bungdung under Kasom Khullen block of Manipur’s Ukhrul district when every single person is engaged in maintaining social distancing protocol in the midst of lockdown as laid down by the WHO.
The ministry of information and publicity of the outfit deplored such “thoughtless and deliberate violation of the infectious Covid-19 protocol”.
The outfit said the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police are doing so on the pretext that there is no Indo-Naga ceasefire in Naga areas of Manipur.
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“They have also taken the antiquated stand that there is no NSCN designated camp in Ukhrul district,” the statement said.
It also alleged that the Assam Rifles earlier attempted to attack the NSCN camp at Kangoi under Kasom Khullen block in Ukhrul district but the women organisations of the area foiled their plan.
However, the NSCN cadres shifted their camp gracefully to avoid the situation from aggravating, the statement said.
The outfit said the intrusion of Indian Army and Manipur state police forces into Kashung-Bungdung areas that are strictly abiding the COVID19 protocol has put the villagers at great risk of exposing themselves to the possibility of asymptomatic coronavirus carriers.
“Such a blatant violation of COVID19 protocols when the whole world is gripping with the spread of Covid-19 pandemic is nothing but highly irresponsible and condemnable by all who share the fear of what is happening to the world today,” it said.
The outfit described as “alarming” the “bellicose stand” taken by the Manipur government against it.
“This inglorious act of the Manipur state government against the Nagas will go down into history as an act against humanity,” it said.
The NSCN(IM) said there is every indication that the Union home ministry had given a “carte blanche” order to the Unified Command of Manipur Police and security forces to deal with it.