Gunmen stop electoral photo I-card teams in Ccpur, Senapati

By : A Staff Reporter 10/1/2007 2:37:51 AM

IMPHAL, Sept 30: Photography teams taking photos of voters under the Electoral Photo Identity Card, EPIC and photo rolls programme In Churachandpur and Senapati district have also been obstructed by armed persons in these districts.

Officials of the election department have already faced obstructions in Ukhrul and also reportedly in Tamenglong district. For Tamenglong district, so far no complaints have come in even as it was reported that a particular underground group was obstructing the campaign.

Since the first case of obstruction of the EPIC programme at Mollen Khongsei village, some 35 km north of Litan police station in Ukhrul district on September 16 last, more cases are being registered in the district.

In Mollen Khongsai village, mention may be made that some seven to eight miscreants suspected to belong to the underground Kuki Revolutionary Army, KRA snatched away digital cameras of the photography team at gun point on September 16.

At least five cases were registered by the different police stations located in Ukhrul district since the start of the campaign early this month. Two cases each were registered in Litan and Ukhrul police stations while one each at Somdal and Chassad police stations, the source said.

The second case taken up by the Litan police, the source said, was registered on September 25 last. It stated that on September 24, a day before the case was registered, three to four youths suspected to be militants of a hill based outfit forcibly took away the camera and the memory cards of the photography team at Lungphu village.

The miscreants also asked the team members not to take photos of the voters there. They also threatened the photography team with dire consequencies if they revisited the area for the same programme, the complaint note stated.

Another case of snatching away of a digital camera and accessories was reported at Haomi village some 18 km north of Somdal police station on September 21. Some armed persons suspected to be militants snatched away the camera and its accessories worth around Rs. 11,700, the case registered on September 25 at Somdal police station said.

The Chassad police station also registered a case on the complaint of snatching away of the equipments of the photography team near Kamjong hospital some half kilometer away east of the police station on September 20.

Another snatching away of camera and other equipments of the team also occurred at Halong village about 16 km north of Ukhrul police station on September 20 last. The photography team performing their duty of photo capturing under Chingai Assembly constituency was disturbed by around five armed men. They also snatched away the camera and other accessories.

In Senapati district, a photography team on duty at Purul Likli village under Saikhul police station was obstructed by two armed persons on September 13 last. The case was registered after a week’s delay.

According to the complaint note lodged by the officials of the SDO, Saikhul, the equipments of the photography team deputed at polling stations 46/16 and 46/17 of Saikhul Assembly constituency were taken away by two armed miscreants while a photo session of the voters was in progress, a complaint note of the SDO, AERO Saikhul said.

In Churachandpur district also photography teams faced obstruction in a place under Parbung police station on September 28 and a case was registered against suspected members of Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) led by Ellah Hmar, official sources said.

The camera and accessories of the EPIC team at Thingpuikual village in Tipaimukh Assembly constituency were snatched away by them on September 26 last, a complaint note of the SDO, AERO, Tipaimukh sub-division said.

Meanwhile, reliable sources said that the EPIC programme which remained suspended due to recently concluded panchayat election, 2007 in the valley areas will re-start from first week of October with security protection for the photography teams.

In the valley areas too, mention may be made that since suspected militants obstructed the process and authorities had deputed security personnel to protect them.

The state election authority, following instructions from the Election Commission of India, from July this year started EPIC and photo rolls programme in the 40 Assembly constituencies in four valley districts of Imphal east, Imphal west, Bishnupur and Thoubal district in the first phase.

The same programme, in the remaining 20 constituencies spread over five hill districts commenced from September first week.

The state authorities started the EPIC and photo rolls programme in Manipur with 1-1-08 as the qualifying date. The ECI has decided to conduct the forthcoming 15th Lok Sabha elections-2009 with photo rolls across the country.


Imphal Free Press