AAGSU and Gorkhas of the Nation stands by Gorkhas of Manipur and AMGSU in the Koirengei Hills Minor Gorkha Girl Rape Case

PR, KalimNews, Guwahati, APRIL 21, 2014: The All Assam Gorkha Students Union (AAGSU) the apex influential organisation of Gorkha students and youths of Assam have vehemently condemned expressed deep shock and sensed high insecurity at the brutal rape of a 13-year-old Gorkha girl at Koirengei Hills, Paomei Colony in Sangakpham, Manipur, on Thursday, April 17, 2014 and there after indiscriminate firing on protestors who demanded justice for victim that killed one Tilak Powdel and cortically injured on Easter Friday.

The All Manipur Gorkha Students’ Union (AMGSU) had taken out a protest march and blocked the national highway on Friday, April 18, 2014, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused which the AAGSU had extended moral support while speaking over telephone with Ramesh Bastola, Chief Advisor, AMGSU. The Manipur Police first used tear gas to disperse the protestors and then resorted to indiscriminate firing, in which a 20 years Gorkha youth, Tilak Poudyal, son of Prem Singh Poudyal, was killed.

Talking to mediapersons here in Guwahati today Nanda Kirati Dewan, publicity secretary, All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU) said, ‘AAGSU the apex influential organisation of Gorkha students and youths of Assam vehemently condemns the incident at the brutal rape of a 13-year-old Gorkha girl in Paomei Colony in Sangakpham, Manipur, on Thursday, April 17, 2014 being raped by a 65-year-old man in a forested area of the locality. He further added, ‘This is not the first time that a gruesome incident had occurred in Manipur and the minority Gorkha Community has always been on the receiving end. 

"Today I am myself condemning such an incident of rape for the 4th time in just 2 years. My question is why is such heinous crime being targeted against minority Gorkhas of Manipur. Why has the Government of Manipur failed to provide security to the peace loving assimilated community in Manipur. We have not heard any rapists so far booked and hanged or given severe punishments.", he added. The information has been corroborated with Ramesh Bastola, Chief Advisor, AMGSU and Pradeep Rizal president AMGSU.

Lambasting the Manipur Administration and Police Authorities on brutal police firings on the protestors seeking justice for the victim that killed 20 years old Gorkha youth and injuring several others while few critical, the vociferous AAGSU leader said, ‘Make no mistake to assume Gorkhas of Manipur are isolated and left alone to be tortured in your lawless administration. Manipur is a state that gave the nation first Gorkha martyr Niranjan Singh Shah Chetri and today Tilak Poudel has laid down his life for the people, we welcome AMGSU decision to declare him as Saheed(martyr). Mr. Ibobi, please be informed that Gorkhas of Nation stands with Manipur Gorkhalis while the All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU) will leave no stone unturned to deliver justice to the victims and the deprived Gorkha community at large.

‘I think Gorkha Development Council under Govt. of Manipur could be an arrangement made to provide equality and justice to minority Gorkhas of Manipur so the All Manipur Gorkha Students’ Union (AMGSU) should democratically demand the creation of Gorkha Development Council in Manipur for all round development and prosperity of the community thereby consolidating political and fundamental rights in its best possible way within the mainframe of Indian Constitution like the Bishnupuriya Manipuri Development Council in Assam to claim equality and fundamental rights as constituent community of larger Manipuri society.’, the AAGSU leader advised the AMGSU being frustrated over the way the Gorkhas have been subjected to inhuman torture in Manipur time and again.

The AAGSU condemns the police brutality and demands immediate action against the killer police personnel with life time suspension and welcomes Dy. CM Gaikhangham’s orders to temporarily suspend the Sekmai OC who lead the police brutality. Recalling meetings with students, youths, women and elderly person during his recent visit to the Gorkha dominated areas of Manipur the AAGSU publicity secretary Nanda Kirati Dewan reiterated that this sad incident cannot be read as an isolated one, only the symptom of a bigger scheme of intimidation, in which the peaceful Gorkha community has been at the receiving end of police high-handedness in the whole state of Manipur.

AAGSU demanded adequate compensation to the rape victim as well as the one killed in police firing the injured for treatment and appealed Manipur Home Minister and Dy. CM Gaikhangham to immediately take steps to remedy this situation in all ways it deems correct.