Zeliangrong bodies call total bandh on both NHs over Alice Kamei case

IMPHAL, April 12 : Total bandh along the National Highway 2 and NH-37 will begin from April 21 to be imposed by All Zeliangrong Students Union (AZSU), Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) and Zeliangrong Students Union, Manipur (ZSUM) which will also be supported by several organisations demanding the safe release of school girl Alice Kamei who is in the custody of militant outfit Revolutionary Peoples Front/Peoples Liberation Army (RPF/PLA) since March 10.

The RPF/PLA says Alice Kamei is 16 years old and had joined the outfit on her own volition while the Zeliangrong organizations rejected the former's version and accused the militant outfit of kidnapping the school girl to force her to join the group. The Zeliangrong organisations also said that Alice Kamei is only 14 years old.

On Friday, in a public meeting held today at Majorkhul Community Hall, Imphal convened by AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM, the participants resolved that the total bandh along the two national highways be imposed as long as Alice Kamei is in the custody of the RPF/PLA.

The meeting also resolved to stage a democratic and peaceful public rally on April 19.

The public meeting also resolved to demand that the police should immediately arrest the Principal of Grace Reach Academy where Alice Kamei was studying as per the case registered Under Section 406 IPC against him.

The public meeting further resolved to demand for the arrest of the absconder Shantipriya @ Ranjana Devi immediately.

It then said the Government should investigate the functioning of the school thoroughly.

Today's pubic meeting also resolved to submit a memorandum to the President of India and to stage sit-in-protest on the day of President of India visit in Imphal.

The meeting also decided to explore legal means to secure release of the minor school girl.

"The public meeting was held following RPF/PLA's adamant stand to continue holding Alice Kamei in its custody who has been held captive since March 10. Similar public meetings were also held on March 19 and 26, wherein we had taken several decisions and consequently the 1st and the 2nd phases of democratic public agitation were demonstrated. The public participated at the meeting strongly condemned and disagree with the RPF/PLA's prolonged captive of the minor school girl without any logical reason," the AZSU, ZYF and ZSUM expressed.

The intention of RPF/PLA's prolong captivity of the minor school girl has raised great suspicion especially when the organization failed to release her despite the fact of the outfit admitting that the girl had not attained the prescribed permissible age to be a militant cadre," the Zeliangrong bodies said.