Manipur House discusses murder of NE youth in Delhi

IMPHAL, July 23 – The killing of a Manipuri youth in Delhi on Monday has evoked sharp reactions from various quarters in Manipur. The murder rocked the on-going Budget session of the Manipur Assembly today forcing the Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam to table a detailed report of the incident.

The matter was raised by MLAs K Shyam of Lok Jana Sakti party and Dr I Ibohalbi of Trinamool Congress during the zero hour today. On Monday, RK Imo of Manipur State Congress Party had also raised the issue.

Akha Salouni (30), a resident of Munirka in South Delhi, and hailing from Tungjoy village in Senapati district, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of five to six men in South Delhi’s Kotla Mubarakpur area around 2.30 am on Monday following a quarrel.

MLA Shyam raising the issue said that Delhi has become a crematorium for the NE people. So the time has come for the MLAs to stage a sit in against the incident in Delhi, he added. MLA Ibohalbi urged the government to send a team of Ministers and MLAs to Delhi to look into the incident the way the Arunachal team had done in the past.

In his reply to the issue of frequent attacks on North East people in Delhi, Gaikhangam, who holds the Home portfolio, said that the government feels the seriousness of the issue. “We will definitely send (a Minister) as and when the situation demands,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Joint Students Coordinating Committee (JSCC) of various student bodies in the State has threatened to launch an agitation if the State authority failed to send a government representative to look into the ongoing investigation in the national capital. JSCC coordinator Th Premanda said that such incidents happen repeatedly due to government’s failure to award befitting punishment to the culprits.

Urging all State Governments of NE to collectively work out long term policies leaving aside their political affiliations so that other mainland people do have due respect to NE people, Naga People’s Front Manipur unit demanded proper investigation by a competent authority like CBI, NIA, etc., and punish the culprits accordingly.

The United Naga Council (UNC) also strongly condemned the killing of Salouni. The murder, rape, assault, humiliation and discrimination of our people and from the NE, staying in Delhi and other metropolis for study or employment is unabated in spite of the assurances of the concerned government and authorities, the UNC said in a statement here.