Irate locals invade SoO designated camp; drive out cadres, burnt 11 vehicles

Imphal, April 9: Irate locals of Napet and its surrounding villages in Imphal East invaded the URF designated camp located at Napet yesterday evening daring the sophisticated weapons alloted to the cadres of the outfit which is ensuing suspension of operation with the government. The irate locals numbering over 1000 including women cordoned the camp after some of the cadres brutally assaulted 3 villagers at around evening yesterday. The URF cadres started firing their automatic weapons but daring the gun shots the people including women thronged inside the camp and started attacking them using stones, spades and sticks. 11 vehicles parked inside the designated camp were set on fire by the angry locals. The vehicles include 1 DI Tata truck, 1 Gypsy vehicle, 1 Van, 1 Bike and 7 Activa vehicles. The URF cadres are opening designated camp at a government school at Napet since May 2014. Since then students of the school had stopped attending classes.
According to report reaching here, local club members and girls of Napet area organised a Thabal Chongba Festival yesterday evening. After the intervention of the SoO URF cadres the girls shifted the location for the Thabal Chongba Festival at a field instead of organising it at the local ground. Soon as the Thabal Chongba started, the cadres of the URF came to the site but they were asked not to come out by the local Meira Paibis. Later, the cadres of URF started frisking at the road creating harassment to the youths coming to attend the Thabal Chongba.
Some elders of Napet village tried to intervene them from conducting such frisking as the evening might be ruined by such act. Instead of listening to the elders, the URF cadres brutally assaulted the village elders. On hearing the news, the local Meira Paibis, club members and other villagers of Napet, Nongada, Kameng Khunjao, Lamlai, Chalou, Nongren Chana and Telou village who were already angry with the excess of the SoO cadre throng to the camp and started confronting with the cadres. The locals turn hostile after the SoO cadres started firing from inside the camp. The locals rain stones and pebbles in retaliations to the machine gun. The wrath of the Meira Paibis who dare the gun shot prompted villagers to even sacrifice their lives and started attacking SoO cadres bare hand. The cadres ultimately escaped vacating the camp which was originally a govt. School.
Speaking to reporters, a local Meira paibi representative said that since the SoO cadres had opened their designated camp at the school, students belonging to poor family had stop attending school.
“Our children sees guns and war type situation every morning instead of learning ABC”, the Meira Paibi said.
“Neither the local ground nor the public pond were allowed to use by the locals as the ponds is spoiled by raring ducks”, she added. Besides, since they set up camp at the school the people of the area has been facing harassment from the cadres as they frisked every night.