Imphal, January 18: In many ways the year 2004 was no different from the previous years in Churachandpur district.

It was marked as usual by numerous instances of encounter between the security forces and activists of insurgent outfits besides the militants themselves, and scores of other ghastly acts of violence.

As many as 36 persons (excluding security personnel) died in insurgency related killings in the year just gone by.

The year also witnessed lots of natural calamity of disastrous proportions in the form of hailstorm and tropical storms which destroyed houses and crops especially in the hills.

The year was heralded with a bang by suspected militants who targeted security forces in and around Churachandpur with renewed vigour.

There were at least three instances of attack on security forces during January including the infamous �New Year Gift� of the RPF on 19 January that claimed three lives.

A silent procession in condemnation of the �gift� was organised by the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Council on January 29, 2004.The outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) fired upon the 14 CRPF post at Lamka Community Hall and some other personnel stationed at the nearby District Hospital with automatic arms and bombs on the night of July 12 and followed it up with another attack four days later amid public condemnation and revulsion.

Many household articles of adjacent residents, including cars and gas cylinders were damaged but no civilian lives were lost.

The PREPAK had earlier launched an attack on a CRPF patrol party at Lailamveng junction on July 1 resulting in the dead of a jawan and injury to three others.

Attacks on security forces continued intermittently till October after which the Army, which arrived around the time, wrested the initiative from the insurgents and took the battle to the latter�s turf in remote hill areas.

Inter-UG conflict also saw no respite during the year.

The confrontation between the UNLF and ZRA claimed many lives between them apart from bringing untold misery and suffering to the civilians.

A misunderstanding between The ZRA and HPC(D) suddenly erupted into a firefight on March 28 and 31 at Rengkai village and claiming three cadres from both sides and a civilian.

An agreement arrived between the two some days later brought respite from the volatile situation.

There are some other heart rending incidents too.

Teenaged lovers, David Paubiaksang and Thangbiakhoih scripted a tragic filmi story of sorts by running away from home together with their bare clothing on January 29, 2004.Numerous searches conducted at suspected locations failed to locate them.

Then, their highly decomposed bodies were recovered from a sloppy forested area near Takvom village on March 31.The two lovers were buried together at Bungmual cemetery.

Nature also let its fury loose on the district in the form of hails and storms which lashes the district during April and May.

Singngat town was in shock when a flash flood swept off Dongkhanmang and his ten year old son, Doumuanthang from a culvert where they took shelter near Singngat on April 12, killing both of them.

Their bodies were found late in the night enveloping everybody in gloom.

Two other persons, Lathasiem, 56 and Khaisuanmang, 27, who were at a jhum field near Muolvaiphei village were brutally murdered and their bodies mutilated by unidentified persons on the night of August 12.The savage manner in which they were butchered appalled the entire town.

However, the murderers were not traced till date and the incident still remains a mystery.

A three year old child, Mangkhuollien was kidnapped for ransom on 3 October from Chengkonpang.

After a hue and cry was raised over the incident, the child was released from captivity on 9 October at Imphal.

There were some positive developments too.

In view of the immense traffic congestion in the town, a one-way traffic regimen was enforced on the major roads of the town from March 22.The district police also sprang into action and removed unauthorized vendors from road-sides and near the District Hospital, which greatly eases the problem of pedestrians.

The year also saw the introduction of mobile telephones in the district.

Three new TD blocks viz.

Lamka, Tuibuong and Saikot were created out of Churachandpur block.

The District MLAs and Ministers came and unveiled a plan for the modernization of Lamka town on May 22, but much of what they promised still remained only on paper.

Lastly, the year also marked the maturing of the press.

News reporters scaled new heights and unearthed many scam stories, the latest of which being the disappearance of Rs 15 lakhs sanctioned for calamity relief in the district from the DC office.

The year closes with a huge fire at the heart of the town which completely gutted two big buildings.

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