Imphal, May 29: Reacting to the Indian Army's contention of occupying Sajik Tampak as part of an exercise to restore peace in the area the proscribed RPF questioned whether displacement of villagers from their own homes, restrictions in purchase of essential items and continuous firing of heavy artillery can be termed as peaceful gesture.

A press statement issued by its communication and publicity assistant secretary Lily Leima said Sajik Tampak villagers and its nearby villages were living peacefully without any threat to their life or property before arrival of the Indian security forces.

Underground organizations that established base camps in the periphery of Sajik Tampak had contributed enormously to ensure availability of basic facilities to the villagers like improved transportation, health facilities, supply of electricity and hygienic drinking water through drilling hand-pumps and laying of pipes to reach maximum number of villages, claimed the statement.

The RPF after establishing its camps in interior areas of Sajik Tampak constructed roads of more than 50 kilometre for inter-village communication, ensured proper maintenance of health care centres and periodically provided sports goods and study materials with similar contribution by other underground organisations, further maintained the assistant secretary.

In contrast, arrival of the security forces has resulted in about 600 villagers of 10 surrounding villages fleeing from their homes, and children denied right to education with the forces occupying school buildings, charged the publicity in-charge.

Moreover, restriction on procurement of essential items has more or less demeaned the status of the villagers to that of living in a concentration camp, observed Lily Leima referring to the pitiable conditions of prisoners of war during the second World War.

She further claimed that advances of security forces towards Sajik Tampak and establishing their camps there has frightened the public beyond imagination and in no way could the frequent firing of heavy artillery shells could be assumed as exercises to usher peace.

Substantiating the allegation the RPF statement recalled the first skirmishes between personnel of 7 Sikh Light Infantry and cadres of the outfit's armed wing the PLA on April 19 wherein retaliating to the UG offensive the security personnel resorted to firing and heavy shelling throughout the night thereby creating a fear psychosis to the villagers.

The PIB (DW) clarification of minimal use of force is also misleading as deployment of helicopter and heavy shelling at suspected underground camps is a clear indication of the Indian army's agenda of eliminating anybody that comes in their way, said the secretary.

It also ridiculed the army claim of controlling insurgent strongly by occupying Sajik Tampak as the underground organizations have never utilized Sajik and its nearby villages as their camps but merely as a transit point to reach camps located in dense jungles.

Terming the State Government and politicians of Manipur as puppets of New Delhi and furthering the Centre's agenda the RPF said reported ignorance of the State authorities on advances of the security forces to Sajik Tampak illustrates the betrayal of the Govt of India to interests of the local population.

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