Churachandpur, July 07 2009: Some villagers of Charoi Khullen village under Loktak police station in Churachandpur district have reportedly fled their village to avert harrassment of the NSCN (IM) cadres allegedly for not obeying their diktat during the recently concluded Lok Sabha election.

Cadres of the NSCN (IM) numbering around 25 had entered the Charoi Khullen village, barely six kilometres away from the Loktak PS, on July 2 and they allegedly threatened the villagers.

A villager, taking shelter at Churachandpur at present, said, the NSCN (IM) cadres had enquired the whereabouts of one villager, Ading Chiru, who they said was an active worker of the Congress.

The villagers were reportedly asked why they were refusing to obey the diktat of the NSCN (IM) during the last Lok Sabha election.

The villager said that all male villagers of Charoi Khullen were herded together and subjected to severe physical and mental tortures for 'not obeying the NSCN (IM) order'.

Even they were made to append their signature of apology for defying their order during the election.

The villagers were also subjected to several harassments including forcing them bite bullets (the severest form of making a person to accept dire consequences) in order to make the villagers obey their decree in future.

The NSCN (IM) cadres were also said to have penalised the villagers by asking them to slaughter a pig.

'Surprisingly, the Gorkha Rifles personnel posted nearby have remained a mute spectator to the whole incident, a villager of Charoi Khullen, who requested anonymity fearing another backlash lamented while asking: 'if this is the price they are getting for voting in the election'.

Unable to bear the brunt, villagers have now fled to various parts of the state.

Report also said here that only some womenfolk, children and those persons who are on good terms with the NSCN (IM) are staying in the 150 household village.

They said that even as the IGAR (S), Maj Gen AK Choudhury has already been urged to redress the issue and rehabilitate the villagers, nothing concrete has been done yet.

Drawing the immediate attention of the government authority to redress their grievances, the villagers, whom this reporter talked to, appealed for intervention of NGOs and civil society organisations to bring the issue to an end.

Around 25 villagers, mostly male, have been given shelter temporarily by the Tuibuong Youth Volunteer Organisation at District Headquarters, Tuibuong.

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