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Manipur: MPA member expelled for rape attempt | |
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by Kh. Anil Singh | |
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These organisations often punish their own cadres for violating set norms. One such rule is that every woman is to be treated as ‘Ima’ (mother).
The apex body
warned Thouba that the harshest punishment could be given if he
continued to work against the party. Thouba was later handed over to
his family. | |
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Recently, a private of the MPA (Manipur Peoples Army), the armed wing of the UNLF (United National Liberation Front) was expelled, for life, by the organisation. The member was found guilty of molesting and trying to rape a teenage girl. Punishment such as this is meant to ensure that not only the people in general, but its own cadres as well, abide by its rules and regulations, and do not become an obstacle to the forward movement of the organisation’s revolutionary cause, creating rifts in the peaceful co-existence of the ‘Chingmee-Tammees’ (the valley people and hilly people) and destabilising the integration of the different ethnic classes. In a press meeting some where near the Indo-Myanmar border, 2nd Lt. Iboyaima, a spokesperson for the UNLF, said that on November 28 last, at around 9.30 pm, the expelled private, Sagolsem Thouba alias Chingkhei alias Chingkhei Ngakpa, son of Sagolsem Ibomcha of Langathel Thingel, while working for the party in a remote hill area, molested and tried to rape a 17-year-old girl belonging to the very family in whose house he and other cadres were taking shelter. He was caught red-handed by the others. He was taken to the party headquarters and a court martial followed. After a thorough investigation, Thouba was found guilty under Article 6.1 (iv) of the 6th Chapter of the Constitution of the UNLF, and the court martial gave the final verdict. Speaking to the media, the commanding officer of the Wangbren Task Force, Captain Tonsana, said that private Thouba had been given the sentence for his disgraceful action. Instead of working for the party with a spirit of self-sacrifice, he had caused hatred for the MPLF (Manipur People Liberation Front) organisations. The apex body also warned him that the harshest punishment awaited him if he continued to work against the party. He said private Thouba would be handed over to his family members. Private Thouba joined the MPA after formal training in 1999-2001. He was working for the party in the Wabgai area of Thoubal District. During his service earlier, he underwent a month’s rigorous work punishment, a sentence given by a court martial for destabilising the co-ordination between the UNLF and the RPF, two of the three members of the joint organisation MPLF (the other being PREPAK). He, along with Private Ikhengba of the UNLF, arrested and interrogated a private of RPF wrongly perceiving that the RPF private was belonging to the KYKL(O). At that time, the UNLF did not get along well with the KYKL(O). During the interrogation, the RPF private died in Ikhengba’s custody although he revealed that he belonged to the RPF and not to the KYKL(O). RPF personnel killed private Ikhengba and consequently there was a feud between the UNLF and RPF organisations, threatening the joint relationship of the MPLF partners. The UNLF conducted a court martial and sentenced him to a month’s rigorous imprisonment for hurting the sentiments between the partner organisations. | |
Despite
the Central Home Ministry listing many under ground outfits of
Manipur, including the UNLF, as terrorist organisations, the outfits
maintain that they are governed by constitutions that would be
acceptable to their own cadres and the people of Manipur. Running a
near-parallel government, the outfits have different departments
that are supposed to govern the State. It is very much evident to
the media that these organisations often punish their own cadres for
violating set norms, and not just the people of the State. One such
rule is that every woman is to be treated as ‘Ima’ (mother).
