Imphal, February 04: Three NSCN (IM) cadres captured after a brief shot-out at Saibol village in Chandel district on February 2 have been released safe and sound, informed the UNLF.

A statement issued by senior publicity officer of the UNLF contended that the encounter ensued after about 10 NSCN (IM) cadres encircled by a mobile fighting team of the MPA refused to reciprocate positively to calls for creating a favourable atmosphere to break the tense situation.

Despite fervent calls to the IM cadres to stay put such effort failed to evoke positive result with the surrounded cadres attempting to escape thereby constraining the MPA team to open fire killing one on the spot and capturing three others while the rest managed to flee, added the statement.

Informing that two persons out of the three were from Chandel and Ukhrul district, the UNLF identified the third as a youth from Arunachal Pradesh.

The captives were thoroughly explained on indispensability to promote peaceful co-existence amongst various ethnic community of the North East region whose emancipation from the grip of India is dependent on joint effort and solidarity to one another, it added.

Asserting that UNLF do not harbour feeling of enmity against any community settled in Manipur and honour sacrifices of Naga freedom fighters to attain naga sovereignty, the statement nevertheless charged some narrow minded leaders of NSCN (IM) compromising the cherished goal of the Nagas with Naga integration.

Naga integration not only forecast hatred among ethnic communities who had been living together since ages but is a clear sign of being sucked into Indian Govt's policy of divide and rule, it observed while cautioning that rather than deciding the fate of the Nagas pursuit of narrow minded goal would create enmity between the Nagas and other communities.

The only way to unwind from the Indian Government tangle is to strive for the common goal unitedly as division among the people would only facilitate adversary force to continue their grip, maintained the UNLF.

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