Imphal, January 13 2010: Security forces forcefully picked up innocent villagers with the charge of having links with undergrounds, villagers of Chairel and its surrounding area in Thoubal district today charged.

A public meeting held at Chairel discussed the issue of harassment of the villagers by troops of 21 Assam Rifles and Thoubal police commandos attached at the Sugnu Police Station and resolved to lodge a complaint to the Chief Minister among others.

Villagers of Chairel, Nungu, Khongyam, Chairel Sabam, Cachartabi and Chairel Khunou attended the public meeting held at Chairel Junior High School ground.

The resolutions adopted in the meeting included drawing the attention of the Chief Minister, O Ibobi in the by submitting a memorandum to intervene over the issue of security forces rounding up innocent villagers and stop it immediately, to prevent outsiders entering in their villages from 6 pm to 6.30 am everyday and to have meira paibis keeping vigil in their respective villages.

Speakers in the meeting alleged that personnel of Assam Rifles and police commandos visited their villages in civil dress frequently picked up innocent villagers.

When they went to ask about the picked villagers, the security forces refused to disclose the whereabouts of the villager stating that they did picked up any.

But, when they further searched for them, the picked up men were generally found to have been handed over to the Imphal police station or to the Kakching police station with the charge recovery of ammunition from them and that they are underground members, they added.

In the recent time some villagers had been killed on the charge of being undergrounds.

But due to lack of education and inability to contact with the media person to report on the happening, they could not get justice till date.

Citing an instance, they said on January 10 last one Takhelmayum Iboyaima son of Khongol was picked up by a combined team of Assam Rifles and police commandos in civil dress on the alleged charge of being a KYKL member.

The man is earning his livelihood by running a rice mill.

In the recent time, there were instances of underground collecting money from the rice mill owners and commercial vehicle owners as annual tax.

The situation of the villagers is akin to living between thedevil and the deep sea.

In another instance, on December 29 last year, one Sorokhaibam Dolen was picked up by the security force in the broad daylight and handed over to Kakching police station with ammunition.

Police registered a case against him as PLA cadres and was detained in custody.

Two days later, another villager named Elangbam Babuhal (40) of Chairel Khunou who went to collect firewood from a nearby hill was nabbed and handover to the police on the charge of being a member of KCP(MC).

While obtaining bail for the innocent villagers, their respective families incurred hunge amounts.

In the prevailing situation, villagers could not lead a life of peace.

They also not not happy with underground groups not clarifying whether those picked are related with them or not.

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