Villagers around Singda area to stop water supply protesting AR action

IMPHAL, March 25: The handing over of a civilian of Singda Kadangbam Part I under Lamsang police station of Imphal west district to the police by a column of 10 AR personnel by claiming that he was a member of an armed group and arrested along with a gun and ammunitions after being picked up a from his home led to residents agitating against the move.  Locals of the area have also said that water supply from the Singda Dam will be stopped  the arrested person is not released without any condition.

The person who was arrested by the 10 AR team has been identified as Ningthoujam Leirenjao Singh (45) son of Late N Ahongjao Singh of Singda Dam part – I. Ningthoujam Ongbi Mani Devi, wife of  Leirenjao said that her husband is a rickshaw driver who also sells water to hotels. "We live a simple life doing whatever work is available for our livelihood. The locality and all the people of the village know very well that my husband is a civilian", she added.

Recounting the incidents that led to her husband being taken away, Mani said that a team of AR personnel broke the door open in the intervening night between Saturday and Sunday and forcibly apprehended her husband who was sleeping with his son and took him. She maintained that no items were picked up along with her husband and that when she asked the AR team to arrest her along with her husband, she was hit by a butt of a weapon and pushed down from the vehicle.

Women of five villages led by women of Singda Kuki Woman Society, Ireng Village Women Society, Phayeng Apunba Nupi Lup, Meira Paibi Lup of Kadangband Part I and II and Kangchup Meira Paibi Lup launched the road blockade . Neitheng, the Ex-Chairperson of Singda Kuki Women Soceity; Daipuilieu, Secretary of Ireng village women society and Hijam Lata Devi, Secretary of Kadangband Part II Meira Paibi strongly condemned the arrest of Leirenjao. They shouetd slogans and waved placards saying, "do not to turn  civilians into a revolutionary cadre', '10 AR post at Kangchup water supply area should be sifted', 'Leirenjao arrested by AR team is a civilian and should be released at the earliest without any condition'.

They disclosed to the media persons that the agitation to stop water supply from Singda dam will be launched by the people of the villages if the said demands were not fulfilled.

Mention may be made that AR personnel handed over Leirenjao to Lamsang police station at around 5.30 p.m. charging that N Leirenjao Singh is a PLA activist. It was also charged that  a pistol with a magazine of 7.635mm, a rifle with point 22 magazine and 40 bullets of AK series Riflle were seized from his possession.