Imphal: The Foothills Naga Co-ordination Committee (FNCC) has condemned the attack on Leimakhong Chingmang and Kanto Sabal on Saturday, where six houses belonging to Naga and Meitei families were allegedly torched by unidentified attackers.
In a statement issued this evening, the committee said the assailants also looted and occupied two local schools: Cornerstone Mission School and Hope International School. These are institutions dedicated to the education of local children, it noted.
The FNCC identified Dr. Manu, founder and principal of Hope International School, as a victim of the raid. He was brutally killed, the committee said, even as his family and community are still coming to terms with the loss. The attackers went on to vandalise the school, causing damage that the FNCC estimates runs into crores of rupees.
The location of the attack has drawn particular scrutiny. The FNCC pointed out that the raid took place within close proximity of the 57 Mountain Division at Leimakhong, and in front of Central Armed Police Forces and Punjab Regiment personnel. "This raises serious questions over the role of the Government as custodian of law," the statement read.
The committee left little room for ambiguity in its demands. It called for immediate identification, arrest and exemplary punishment of every individual involved. It also urged the Government of Manipur, the Ministry of Home Affairs and security agencies to restore law and order, ensure community safety, and bring perpetrators to justice "without fear or favour."
Describing the violence as "criminal acts of terror" rather than protest, the FNCC said there was no justification for targeting civilians, homes or schools. It extended solidarity to the affected families and maintained that lasting peace can only come through justice and accountability.
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