100-hour blockade on Manipur highway against assault on students by ‘NSCN-IM’

Imphal (Manipur), September 8, 2018:

A 100-hour blockade on Imphal-Jiribam National Highwy ahas been called by the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) from Saturday midnight against the alleged involvement of members of rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) in the alleged incident of assault on its activists and illegal collection of taxes from them.

Although the NSCN-IM denied its involvement in the incident, the AMSU rejected the rebel group’s statement. The students’ body said it was a failure on the part of the state government that none of the NSCN-IM members was arrested within the 72-hour deadline which it had set.

According to AMSU, the incident took place in Nungba, Tamenglong when some AMSU members and musicians were heading to Imphal from Assam. They alleged that some NSCN-IM insurgents intercepted them on the way and asked them to pay ‘illegal taxes’.

They added that when they refused to pay the tax, the cadres started beating them up. They were allowed to leave the spot only after they paid Rs.500 each, AMSU alleged.

Members of the students’ body on Friday burned the effigies of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in protest against the incident.

Singh said the government was trying to arrest the culprits whose actions might have led to communal tension. “Personnel of 57 Mountain Division and police commandos have been dispatched to Tamenglong district to arrest the accused persons,” he said.