GUWAHATI
Villagers in southern Arunachal Pradesh are increasingly turning against extremists.
On April 7, the people of Longphong village in the frontier State’s Longding district thrashed a member of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang-Yung Aung) for issuing extortion threats.
Longding is one of the three districts where members of various NSCN factions operate, often from across the border in Myanmar. The other two districts are Changlang and Tirap.
“Manphung alias Wangjaw Wangsa, a self-styled sergeant major of NSCN (K-YA) was killed after he reportedly came to the village to extort money and threaten them,” Longding’s Deputy Superintendent of Police, Banghang Tangjang said.
He said the NSCN (K-YA) member had earlier been arrested by the 4th Sikh Regiment in connection with a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in 2017. He was released on bail in November 2019.
The police registered a case in connection with the extremist’s killing but have not arrested anyone so far.
“Manphung’s death is indicative of the growing resentment against rampant extortion in the area. This is not the first such case,” an armed forces official said, declining to be quoted.
In May 2021, the Assam Rifles had arrested NSCN (K-YA) member Palai Wangnao who had been beaten up by the locals of Longkhao village in the Longding district. He was among four extremists who had tried to kidnap one of the villagers for ransom.
Less than a fortnight later, the residents of Noglo village in the Tirap district took out a rally to protest the activities of the NSCN (K-YA) and NSCN (Isak-Muivah).
On March 22, pressure from locals made the NSCN (K-YA) release four villagers of K-Noknu and Khasa villages in the Longding district. The four were abducted and taken to Myanmar after two members of the outlawed outfit from their villages had surrendered before the armed forces.
The NSCN (K-YA) had demanded “compensation” members from the villagers for the two who surrendered.
“Sustained interactions with the villagers over the years has made it possible for us to get the cooperation of the people in checking extremism in the TCL (Tirap, Changlang, Longding) areas. We are wary of misadventures that can undo all the hard work,” the armed forces officer said.
He was referring to the shooting of two fishermen by Assam Rifles personnel in a case of “mistaken identity” in the Tirap district on April 1. The paramilitary force has taken responsibility for the treatment and other expenditure of the two civilians.
