India Surgical Strike – Manipur News

By Oken Jeet Sandham

Killing of 21 people due to flash flood and landslides in Manipur was not Headline news in National Newspapers, but the death of 1 or 2 people in heavy downpour in India’s major cities or submerging Mumbai City by heavy downpour captured Headlines of all the National Dailies.

Killing of 18 Indian soldiers in Manipur by NSCN (K) continued to remain lead and front page stories in all the leading National Papers for more than a week. But shutting down of educational institutions over a month in Manipur following the agitations by students and other civil societies demanding for introducing Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Manipur still fails to capture Headlines of National Dailies. But few hours agitations by students or any civil societies in major Indian cities will dominate National Dailies.

The mainland media tried their best to twist the unfortunate ambush on Indian Army on June 4 at Manipur’s Chandel district and afterwards even to the extent of saying that India Army’s surgical strikes could kill 100 Naga militants, sometimes 80, sometimes 60, sometimes 40 by crossing International boundary in Myanmar. They could even use the photograph of the Indian Army helicopter taken during Nepal relief service in 2013 as if it was taken in surgical strikes in Myanmar territory in 2015.

Of late, again many mainland media started their news bombardment soon after the signing of the “Framework Agreement” between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) was over. Several unfounded issues totally unconnected with the Naga issue by wrongly mentioning many historical chapters and names have been incorporated in their stories. Before the two parties spelling out of the nature of “Framework Agreement,” they have started giving all sort of speculative stories even at times look like they know everything of the contents of the “Framework Agreement.”

Our National Media need to change their mindset towards Northeast and seriously study on issues prevailing here. Only then will the leadership of this country start thinking something positive towards the people of the Northeast. Then change for better can be expected.

Kanglaonline exclusive photo coverage from ground zero at ambush site, Parolon in Manipur’s Chandel district.

By Deepak Shijagurumayum.

Villagers roaming around with air gun at the ambush site at Paorolon, Chandel District, Manipur. Photo by Deepak Shijagurumayum.

A misleading calm hung over leafy Parolon in Manipur’s Chandel district on Friday 5th June, 2015, 24 hours after 18 soldiers of the 6 Dogra Regiment were gunned down here in an ambush by militants from three different groups – NSCN(K), KYKL and KCP.

6th Dogra Regiment’s truck ambushed by militants at Paorolon, Chandel District, Manipur. Photo by Deepak Shijagurumayum.

A live Improvised Explosive Device (IED), placed inside a pressure cooker, lay on the side of the road, about 20 km away from the Myanmar border, with parrot green sandbags placed in front to mark the area. The handful of soldiers guarding the spot halted the little traffic filtering in, sending them back. They were waiting for the bomb disposal squad.

IED bomb was implanted in a pressure cooker to ambush the Indian Army by militants at Paorolon, Chandel District, Manipur. Photo by Deepak Shijagurumayum.

“The bomb is still live. We arrived after the incident was over and have been here ever since. We are conducting searches. But the insurgents could very well have left for Myanmar. It’s difficult,’’ said a soldier from 6 Dogra Regiment.

Chinese made hand granade which was found at the ambush site at Paorolon, Chandel District, Manipur. Photo by Deepak Shijagurumayum.

Next to the IED lay an grenade that’s yet to be defused and the remains of the battle day before — the skeletons of two completely charred trucks, and two empty burnt RPG shells.

6th Dogra Regiment’s truck ambushed by militants at Paorolon, Chandel District, Manipur. Photo by Deepak Shijagurumayum.

On 5th June, New York Times reported: “At least 20 soldiers were killed and 11 are injured,” said Col. Rohan Anand, an army spokesman in New Delhi. “The army convoy was first blasted using improvised explosive devices followed by rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire.”