NSCN (I-M) has refuted the claims of the Assam Rifles that the group was involved in the kidnapping of a woman in Chandel district of Manipur.
NSCN (I-M) through its MIP asserted that the “over indulgence” of Assam Rifles to put the group on the wrong side was something that repeatedly keeps happening. It stated that the Assam Rifles has turned itself into “cantankerous force” that “takes pleasure in projecting NSCN as the culprits of any given incident.”
Citing the Chandel incident of March 13, 2019, the NSCN (I-M) stated that a woman of “dubious character” allegedly involved in drug trafficking was “arrested” by the group for interrogation as appealed by local civil society organizations.
However, MIP stated that the gang members of the “arrested” woman passed the information to 18 Assam Rifles and blatantly accused the two arrested NSCN members of kidnapping the woman. MIP stated that two of its cadres were “overpowered by surprise”, but did not react in any violent manner in keeping with the spirit of the ongoing “Indo-Naga” political talks.
According to MIP, the Chandel civil society organisations raised the alarm against the Assam Rifles for wrongly projecting the arrested NSCN members as kidnappers.
It stated that the group never failed to act against any anti-social elements, but the AR was more often than not found to be “deviled itself” by going against NSCN. “Unfounded allegations against NSCN will take the AR nowhere to glory itself as ‘friends of the hill people’,” MIP stated.
Further, MIP also stated that Thiluxu incident was another “desperate attempt” by AR to bring bad name to group. NSCN (I-M) stated that for no reason its deputy kilonser Kakito Zhimomi was arrested along with two other persons, who were his tenants at his Thiluxu house. It said his licenced .22 rifle was also taken away, but gave back at the time of his release as AR could not substantiate anything illegal against him.