Our Correspondent Imphal | April 9 Irate villagers attacked and torched a militant designated camp last night in Imphal East after several shots were fired by the militants in the air disrupting a Thabal Chongba programme. Thabal Chongba, a popular Manipuri folk dance, is held every year on the occasion of Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba, the Meitei New year. Five two-wheelers were burned down while a Gypsy and another two-wheeler were pushed down into a local pond by the mob of protesters before the militants belonging to URF-Chingkeinganba group were chased and beaten up around 10:30 pm, according to reports. v The United Revolutionary Front-Chingkeinganba group is currently under ceasefire and their designated camp is located at Lamlai, about 20 km from Imphal city. The URF camp is located inside a school ground. The cadres had refused to allow villagers of Napet village to organise the Thabal Chongba programme at the ground following which the villagers had shifted the venue to a nearby field. A group of armed cadres were frisking passers-by near the venue and had thrashed two villagers of Napet, who were returning home. Not wanting their programme to be disturbed, the organisers requested the cadres to discontinue the checking, however, it went unheeded. Instead, two of the organisers who had gone to plead with the cadres were also beaten up. The cadres then fired several rounds in the air to drive away a large number of people from Napet and nearby villages of Nongada, Lamlai Chatlou and Nungoi who were coming towards the spot, angry at the assault on villagers. The mob of protesters then burned down the camp along with the vehicles. A villager said the URF cadres disrupted the programme as they fired shots which panicked the crowd that fled from the venue. The villager, who did not want to be named, said, “URF cadres will not be allowed to stay at their designated camp now. The Lamlai Police Station will be held responsible for any untoward incident that occurs in the area in future.”
