Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 02 2009:
Coming out strongly against the strong arm tactics adopted by the State Government, the Apunba Lup today, said that the Chief Minister should not live under the illusion that use of force can silence the voice of the people.
Sticking to its stand of pressing ahead with the agitation until the demands are met, the Apunba Lup in a statement today said that the police commandos responsible for the July 23 twin killings as well as the DGP, SSP and Additional SP should be given fitting punishment for the fake encounter.
There is also no let up in the demand that Chief Minister O Ibobi should resign on moral ground, it asserted.
If the demands of the people are not met, then the boycott of all the 60 MLAs will proceed, it warned and appealed to the people to extend their co-operation.
The relentless hunting down of leaders of the Apunba Lup and members of civil society organisations to neutralise the people's uprising by the police is a smirch on democracy, said Apunba Lup.
Intent on silencing the voice of the people, the police have been using hooded men to track down the leaders of the civil society organisations, it said and added that this must be stopped immediately.
If Chief Minister has any conscience or the welfare of the people at heart, then he should have resigned when the whole world condemned the cold blooded killings of July 23, claimed the statement.
Rather than resigning, Chief Minister O Ibobi is intent on only pleasing the bosses at Delhi.
Instead of listening to the voice of the people and respecting the people's sentiments, the Chief Minister is more interested in clinging on to his chair at any cost, charged Apunba Lup.
The State has not seen a Chief Minister worse than Ibobi, said the statement and added that ever since Ibobi became the Chief Minister, the killings by security agencies have increased manifold.
Fake encounters are being encouraged and a number of innocent people have lost their lives, alleged the statement.
The Apunba Lup also came out strongly against the ploy of using the State police and State agencies to crack down on the people and observed that this is akin to encouraging fratricidal clashes and killings.
Under the pretext of searching for Apunba Lup leaders, the police have been ransacking the houses of their families and harassing them, it added.
The police should also realise that they are training their guns on their own kins and they should stop this, advised Apunba Lup.
Ever since, Manipur merged with India, the people have had to lead a life of uncertainty and they have been at the receiving end of the security forces, added Apunba Lup.
The political leaders are only interested in pleasing the Delhi bosses and hence favouritism and nepotism have become the order of the day.