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North East : Manipur Elections : Violence marks the end of final phase

	February 26, 2007

The electoral process in Manipur to constitute a new Assembly was completed last week with the third and final round of polling ending on Friday, Feb. 23.



The three-phase polling on Feb. 8, 14 and 23 was conducted under strict security measures to prevent rigging and intimidation of voters by militants who had threatened to disturb the process by issuing strike and boycott calls. Though 70 to 90 per cent of the electorate dared to exercise their right to vote, the polling was not free from acts of militant violence.



Barring minor incidents, the whole democratic exercise passed off peacefully. But the state got a severe jolt on the final day when 16 securitymen were killed in an ambush at Ngariyan Lai Maton hills on the border of Tamenglong and Bishenpur districts.



According to reports, an unidentified militant outfit ambushed a team of security personnel of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and state police while they were returning to Imphal from Khoupum in Tamenglong district after performing election duty. Militants fired a volley of bullets and bombs on the six-vehicle convoy led by 1st IRB commanding officer P. Dhiren. The officer, however, escaped unhurt but 13 security personnel were slain on the spot while another died on way to hospital. The other two jawans succumbed to their injuries at Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Imphal.



No militant outfit claimed responsibility for the attack. The police, too, were unable to identify any group.



The militants, around 30 in number, were armed with AK series rifles and bomb-launching guns.



The police said the militants, concealed at three different places atop the hills, targeted the truck leading the convoy as well as the last vehicle. The slain personnel were travelling in the first truck, which bore the brunt of the attack.



Additional Army, CRPF and state security forces were rushed to the spot. Led by Bishenpur superintendent of police Th. Jayanta, the combined forces launched search operations in and around the site of the ambush.



The Army also deployed a helicopter to track down the militants. However, the rebels managed to escape. A red alert has been sounded throughout the state.



This was the second major rebel strike in Manipur since polling began. Earlier, three CRPF personnel, a poll official and a civilian driver were killed in an ambush by the Manipur Peoples Army on February 9 in Ukhrul district.



Among those whose fate has been sealed in the ballot boxes are Chief Minister Ibobi Singh and former Chief Minister R.K. Dorendra Singh. Counting begins tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 27), and most of the results are expected by the same eveninng.





“Terror slur” on Assam Rifles



The Assam Rifles deployed in Manipur has been sucked into yet another controversy with the Imphal Bench of Gauhati High Court asking Director General of Police A.K. Parashar to investigate allegations that troops of the paramilitary force were terrorising villagers in Chandel district.



The High Court bench, comprising Justice K. Meruno and Justice U.B. Saha, in an order issued on Feb. 20 asked him to send an officer not below the rank of Inspector-General of Police to the village and find out the truth.



The order followed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by chief of Tuyang village Limkhojam Haokip and secretary of village authority, Tonglet. In the PIL, they accused the Assam Rifles of beating up villagers without any reason, using them as labourers and preventing them from going to work in the fields.



Tuyang is located in Khengjoy block under the Chandel constituency, about 160 km from Imphal. Security forces moved into the area to flush out militants in December. The crackdown resulted in a gunbattle between the troops and militants, triggering an exodus of hundreds of villagers from the Khengjoy hill range near the Indo-Myanmar border. Many of the villagers are yet to return home.



The election authorities made special arrangements for transportation of the displaced persons to the village to allow them to cast their votes at two special booths during the third and final phase of polling on Friday.



The petition also accused personnel of 16 Assam Rifles post located at Hollenjang village near Tuyang, of felling trees, leading to losses estimated to be around Rs 3 lakh.



Terming the allegations as “serious”, the High Court has ordered the DGP to send the police officer to conduct an inquiry and the DGP to submit the findings of the probe.