Attack blame on NSCN-IM

Ibobi points finger at Naga outfit

File picture of the August 1 blast site in Imphal
Imphal, Aug 26 : Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh told the Assembly today that the NSCN (I-M) was planning to attack elected members of the Autonomous District Councils and urged the Centre to employ the National Investigation Agency to probe the recent “terrorist” activities of the Naga militant group in the state.
The chief minister blamed the rebel outfit for the blast at Sangakpham bazar of Imphal East on August 1, in which five persons, including two schoolgirls, were killed and eight more were injured.
One of the five killed was a rebel of the NSCN (I-M), identified as Anthony Kamei, from Churachandpur district.
He apparently died while planning an attack on the chairman of Senapati district council, R.S. Henry, whose convoy was to pass the site of the blast that day, he said.
The rebel was waiting for the convoy with a scooter fitted with the powerful IED but the bomb exploded because of some technical failure, he said.
Police arrested a rifleman of the 4th IRB, J. Kamei, who was also involved in the blast plan.
“Kamei, a member of the security escort party provided to the ADC chairman, had passed on information about his movement to Anthony. He is now in judicial custody,” the chief minister said during a discussion on the Sangakpam bomb blast initiated by two Opposition members.
Though the NSCN (I-M) had denied any hand in the Sangakpham blast, Ibobi Singh claimed that Anthony’s parents had confirmed that he was a member of the NSCN (I-M).
The Naga outfit has never voiced it opposition to the councils, but Naga organisations are against constitution of the district councils in Manipur.
Official sources said because of such threats, elected members, particularly of councils in Naga-dominated districts mostly stayed and functioned from Imphal.
Ibobi Singh said investigations and inquiries have now revealed the NSCN (I-M)’s plans to attack elected members of the autonomous district councils.
The chief minister also blamed the NSCN (I-M) for the recent attack on the convoy of Wungnaoshang Keishing, an Independent MLA from Ukhrul district, in which eight persons, including six Manipur Rifles escorts, were killed in April this year.
“During my last trip to Delhi I raised the issue of terrorist activities of the NSCN (I-M) before the Prime Minister and the home minister. I urged both the leaders to let the NIA investigate the NSCN (I-M) activities,” Ibobi Singh said.
He said the Centre took a serious note of the issue and assured him to consider engaging the NIA to probe the events.
“If such terrorist acts are to be carried out by the outfit, the ongoing peace talks have no meaning,” the chief minister said.
Raising the matter in the Assembly, Opposition members O. Joy Singh and R.K. Anand accused the Centre of “creating a terrorist haven” of the NSCN (I-M) in the garb of peace talks.
“The state government should declare the NSCN (I-M) a terrorist organisation and take action against those involved in terrorist activities. The outfit has even killed a couple recently,” Joy Singh said.