Shooting of Heirok youth : Fresh appeal to KYKL/UNLF/KCP
Many begin homeward journey
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Sep 16 : With the ban imposed by the proscribed KYKL and UNLF on the movement of the people of Heirok outside their locality being implemented through the shooting of a youth from Heirok on the thigh on September 15, about 50 people of Heirok staying in other parts of the State have started returning home.
Simultaneously a public meeting was held at Heirok today wherein fresh appeals were issued to the outfits to lift the ban imposed on them.
The youth, Laishram Shashikumar of Heirok Part II was running a pharmacy at RIMS road and he was shot on his thigh yesterday by suspected UNLF cadres, who reportedly said that he had not heeded the earlier warning not to venture outside Heirok.
KYKL and UNLF had decided to impose the ban on the movement of the people from Heirok following the decision of the people of Heirok to set up SPOs in the aftermath of the shooting spree during a Thabal Chongba festival in March this year, in which two persons including a girl were killed, while another girl was seriously injured, impairing her eye sight.
The recruitment process of the SPOs is over and at the moment the selected candidates are undergoing training.
The two outfits had earlier warned the JAC of Heirok to retract from the demand to set up the SPOs but since their warning was not heeded the ban was imposed.
According to a report received from Heirok, following the shooting of Shashikumar, about 50 people from Heirok, including Government employees who were staying in other parts of Manipur have started returning home.
Three students of KM Blooming School, Khanga-bok have also returned home.
To discuss the new development a public meeting was held at the ground of Primary School at Heirok Part II attended by over a thousand people.
Five resolutions were adopted after the meeting. The resolutions said that the people of Heirok have taken a serious note of the shooting of Shashikumar and to ensure that such incident does not recur, an agitation will be held later to show their opposition to such action.
The people also resolved to appeal again to the UNLF, KYKL and KCP to revoke the ban imposed on the people of Heirok. The KCP had supported the stand of the KYKL and UNLF.
The other resolutions adopted included, urging the Govt to ensure security for the people of Heirok, to urge the Government to bear the medical expenses of Shashikumar and to highlight the resolutions through the media.
Earlier in the day, before the public meeting was held, a road block was put up on the road leading to Heirok from Wangjing. Other roads leading to Heirok were also blocked.
Heirok AC MLA M Oken was barred by the people from venturing out of the place.
The meeting which started at about 3 pm stretched on till 6.30 pm and the road blocks were lifted after the meeting wound up.
Following the incident yesterday, security was beefed up in and around Heirok and in other sensitive parts of Thoubal district.
Shashikumar is recuperating at the hospital.
