Arunachal Minister slams Army of harassing innocent villagers

Itanagar, May 1 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh' Rural Development minister Chowna Mein has alleged that the common people of Namgo village in Lohit district were harassed by the Armymen in the name of counter insurgency operations.

The minister, who hails from the district, visited the village yesterday to see the situation, and accused the Army of inhumane treatment to the villagers.

He said villagers were being harassed since an IED blast was triggered by ULFA rebels near Medo village on April 25, in which two army personnel were killed and four injured. He alleged the Army men after the blast summoned the villagers, engaged them in cleaning the area and forced them to kneel down the whole night without food and water. The next morning, the poor villagers forced to clean the jungle and fetch muddy water without being served of food and water, he said. Most of the villagers were charged with harbouring the militants and tortured, the minister claimed.

Moreover, the uniformed personnel entered many houses including of the Gaon Burah (GB) and destroyed many household items, Mr Mein informed over telephone, adding when the district administration protested, Brigadier Bordoloi of 82 Mountain Brigade visited the village to tender a written apology for the treatment meted out to the poor villagers.

Mr Mein said such unwarranted activities of the troops were against the spirit of the Constitution.

He said the rebels have been using the dense jungle as a corridor to cross over to Myanmar and the villagers were neither harbourers nor associated with them. Mr Mein said the damages caused to the villagers were being assessed and would be taken up with Defence Minister A K Antony through the state Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin and Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.

When contacted, Mr Gamlin described the atrocities as unfortunate and assured to under take the matter with the defence ministry.

The innocent villagers are facing the brunt in the fight between anti-India rebels and the Army, he said, adding that it was a failure of Army intelligence to distinguish between those extending support to the militants under duress, those willing abettors and also the villagers without any link.

UNI