Nagas living in Imphal valley areas of Manipur are not safe, says Naga People's Union Imphal

The Naga People's Union Imphal on Sunday stated that Nagas living in Imphal and valley areas of Manipur are not safe and appealed to all Nagas to be vigilant and alert.

The statement comes in the wake of an incident which occurred in Imphal wherein girls belonging to Naga community, working in a beauty parlour, were reportedly kidnapped and assaulted on December 12 in two separate incidents.

In a statement, the Union said that that some armed miscreants had forcibly kidnapped four Naga girls from Chandel district belonging to Anal, Lamkang and Aimol tribes on December 12 and even physically assaulted one of the girls. The girls are working in a beauty parlour owned by Anal Naga lady, located at Khongnang Ani Karak near India Bazar, Imphal.

On December 12, ten-twelve armed miscreants came in two vehicles and demanded 3/4 lakhs from the beauty parlour. The miscreants picked up three of the girls along with the proprietor of the parlour at around 12 noon and took them to Sawombung and Sekta area hill side and threatening them that they would be killed on the spot if they could not arrange or provide 3/4 Lakhs.

Later, when some of the local friends of the girls intervened and spoke to some elders and leaders of the area, the four Naga Girls were released at around 6 pm from Sekta, NPUI said.

The Naga union stated that one of the victims, who is said to be Aimol girl, was physically assaulted and beaten black and blue. She is presently undergoing medical treatment.

Even after the girls were released, the said armed gangs kept calling them over phone especially to the proprietor to arrange the said amount within 2/3 days, failing which they would come to the parlour and kill them. As such, the parlour has been presently closed for fear of the threats and their lives.

NPUI further stated that a similar incident took place on the same fateful day at around 12: 30 pm to 4:30 pm, wherein seven Naga girls belonging to Tangkhul, Maring, Mao and Kabui were kidnapped by some unknown armed miscreants.

The miscreants including three females and five males in full arms came up to the beauty parlour located at Chingmeirong near Vishal Mall, Imphal, and suddenly pulled out a pistol and collected all the mobile phones, Aadhaar Cards and took photos and videos, their mobile numbers of the seven staff.

The staff including the manager and proprietor were forced to move inside a gypsy vehicle at gun point and they were taken to the jungle of Sekta, Imphal East District.

NPUI claimed that on reaching the jungle, the unknown armed miscreants started physically assaulting and thrashing / beating the proprietor and manager badly using gun butts, sticks and threaten to shoot on their legs or killed them. The armed miscreants demanded a sum of Rs. 5 (five) Lakhs to the Beauty Parlour of Chingmeirong and took away Rs. 2 Lakhs from them.

The Naga People's Union Imphal strongly condemned the criminal activities and ransom carried out upon the innocent Naga girls who are running a beauty parlour. The NPO claimed that such similar incidents were happening in Imphal city to many other Beauty Parlours run by Naga ladies and they were threatened for ransom and some were forced to pay the amounts ranging from thousands upto lakhs of rupees.

The NPUI humbly appealed to those armed miscreants to kindly stop harassing Naga girls who are running Beauty Parlours in Imphal and in the valley areas to avoid creating up of any kind of misunderstandings between the Naga and non - Naga communities in Imphal and Manipur.

NPUI also urged the state government, the governor of Manipur and the Union Home Ministry to seriously and immediately look into the incidents at the earliest possible by implementing a proper law and order to protect innocent lives and properties and not to harm Naga girls in future.

NPUI stated that Nagas running shops, beauty parlours, hotels, vendors and any kind of small or large businesses are not safe in Imphal and in valley areas of Manipur due to such kind of ransoms, demands, forced taxes, forced donations or any kinds of monetary demands and kidnapped by armed miscreants frequently. "Naga people living in Imphal and valley areas of Manipur are not safe and secured," NPUI said, and appealed to all to be vigilant and alert.

Finding such harassment, tortures, discrimination, etc, meted to the Nagas as an indirect warning to the Naga people living in Imphal areas of Manipur, the Naga Union appealed to all non-Naga CSOs to extend help and support to live in peaceful co-existence in future with mutual understanding and kindness to each other.