The 17 members including 12 small children of the ousted families are sheltering at a small field-hut located in New Samtal without assistance from anyone. Even a one year old child is among them.
The heads of the two families have been identified as Tinneiling (30) and Lunkhojam (57) and Tinneiling's husband Jamkholun (36) was allegedly nabbed by the Assam Rifles on charges of detonating the IED.
On investigation by a media team, the unfortunate family members were found taking asylum without any food at the small hut which was quite unfit to protect them from rain and wind.
Having run away helter skelter on intimidation by Assam Rifles, the poor family members had no more clothes except the ones they wore. The media team witnessed pitiable appearances on the face of the sheltered children who were weeping on seeing the approaching media persons.
Talking to the media persons, Lumkhojang stated that he and arrested Jamkholun had been charged with exploding the IED by the Assam Rifles. He came back from Myanmar after visiting his ailing wife on the previous day of the IED explosion, narrated Lumkhojang while denying any involvement in the IED blast. Assam Rifles, however, made wrong allegations against him and Jamkholun, he added.
Just after the blast, all villagers including child bearing women were called out at the village ground, he recalled and said all villagers were forced to parade in the rains from morning till 8 pm without any food.
During the parade, 3 persons namely Yangminthang, Yangmilon and Ngamlet were interrogated and brutally assaulted inside a house by the Assam Rifles, he added.
Charging the villagers of the IED blast, Post Commander of 3-AR Major Sooter interrogated the villagers one by one.
Pointing towards Lumkhojam and Jamkholin with allegations for the explosion, Major Sooter threatened their families to leave the village, he narrated.
On being asked the reason for their ouster from the village, Major Sooter told them to ask the village chief, Lunkhojam told the media persons, while continuing 'the village chief at the same time claimed before the AR Major they were innocent villagers' .
Considering of the sufferings to be faced by the villagers, the two families left the village on August 27 noon, said he while lamenting that his 120-year old father was still staying in the village without none to look after him.
Paddy, Pigs, ducks and chickens all remained in the village, Lunkhojam told media persons while expressing his determination not to return to the village until the Assam Rifles goes back from there.
While saying that the villagers had lost their freedom since arrival of Assam Rifles in the area in 2007, Lumkhojam appealed to all apex bodies and civil society organizations of Kukis to extend assistance to the unfortunate families.
Source: Hueiyen News Service
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