IMPHAL: A bomb attack on the residence of Manipur Transport Minister Khashim Vashum shook the town in the evening of September 14. The bomb had exploded at around 8:30 pm by some unknown assailants in Ukhrul. Though no casualties have been reported, the bomb attack received mass criticism after condemned statements largely from the United Naga Council.
In a statement of strongest condemnation, the UNC representing Naga people denounced the attack as a "heinous act of dehumanization." The acts like these are more likely to break this fragile peace in the region and pose a direct threat to the safety of all its citizens, the Council said while condemning the assault not only on the minister and his family but as an affront on the entire peace-loving community.
The UNC described the incident as a "cowardly" challenge to the rule of law, violence and intimidation can never be solutions to political or social grievances. They emphasized that peace and dialogue must always be the pillars of progress in the region and condemned any attempt to destabilize the present harmony.
The Council has urged the authorities to take prompt action from them, and demanded an all-out investigation to bring about the perpetrators responsible for this dastardly attack. In this regard, they also demanded strict legal consequences for the perpetrators responsible in order to prevent repetition of such crimes.
More than a call for justice, the UNC also issued to the community of Nagas at large a broader warning regarding the attempts by others to sow seeds of discord. In this connection, while sinister forces were trying to create divisions in the community, the people were warned that such acts could be part of a larger scheme to undermine the unity and aspirations of the Naga people. As the Council puts it, they urged no one to fall prey to such designs.
In their concluding remarks, the United Naga Council implored for peace to reign supreme while appealing for wise sense in the midst of violence. They stated again that they would like to stick by democratic tenets and make sure that people who try to derail the system get justice.
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