One still remembers the controversial Saparmeina exchange of two ‘abducted’ Meitei youths from Thoubal with 11 Kuki undertrial prisoners, only a month back. Although state authorities denied a connection between the two, nobody believed them. COTU representatives had come out with a statement that it was an ‘exchange’ following hectic negotiations. They had actually put in a demand for transfer of all Kuki-Zo prisoners in Imphal to be shifted to Churachandpur or Kuki dominated areas, to which the state government was not willing.
Finally, after Centre’s intervention the release of 11 undertrial prisoners were agreed upon, the CoTU representative had added. Well, that is another story. Now, six innocent women and children were found missing in the confusion of the attack in Jakuradhor Karong under Borobekra PS on Monday afternoon by Kuki militants. These women and children were inmates in the relief camp opened at Borobekra PS which was guarded by police and central paramilitary forces. Two other elderly men were found charred to death in the arson by Kuki militants while three other men were found alive.
The social media is splashed with a photo of the six innocent women and children whose frightened looks were haunting. Just like the innocent eyes of two teenagers Linthoingambi and Hemanjit in captivity continue to haunt us, the frightened faces of the six would haunt us forever. If fear had a face, it is being depicted in that photo-grab of the six which seems to have been uploaded by the abducting group.
As we said then, the conflict had turned a new chapter with the abduction of three youths in late September followed by a demand for release of a Kuki militant leader charged with secession and other Kuki prisoners lodged in Imphal in exchange for the two youths still in the custody of the abductors. Even with the kind of hostility prevalent, nobody expected a hostage situation. As a matter of fact, that was not the first instance of abduction of Meiteis by Kuki militants in the fringe areas.
In most of the cases, security forces manage to intercept the militants and rescue the abductees. In some cases, village volunteers on both sides had played good Samaritan by handing over persons who had accidentally crossed over the ‘line’ to the police. On the other hand, many had been hacked to death or ‘disappeared’ forcibly by unruly mobs. Earlier, several incidents of extreme violence had occurred.
The primal urges or predatory instinct which otherwise lay dormant in each and every human being had been rekindled by the hate-driven violence. It laid bare the alarming level of hatred and animosity flowing from a misdirected passion, a state of mind bereft of reason and human compassion.
In short, irrationality and mob psychology had taken over. Senseless violence like beheadings, rape and molestation, violent killings of innocents had happened in the conflict. But, most of them happened in the heat of the moment. But abduction resulting in a hostage situation or otherwise is pre-mediated violence with a design pointing to an act of terrorism. No amount of justification from the abductors and those involved would suffice.
State police had said that they are doing their utmost to locate the six with the help of security forces after heavy reinforcements. But still not a word from the powers that be in Imphal and New Delhi and it has become a part of the pattern of deafening silence of BJP bigwigs. On the other hand, CSOs are caught in a time warp of confusion and paucity of ideas. They struggle to find new ways of channelising people’s anger and grievances as they remain wedded to political patronage and its frills.
