Various civil society organizations in Manipur working together with the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) on March 18 protested against a bomb attack at the house of the president of the FOCS on March 17 night.
Miscreants lobbed a hand grenade at the house of FOCS president Thoidingjam Manihar at Kongba Uchekon under Irilbung police station of Imphal East district on March 17 night.
The grenade, however, did not explode. Personnel of the police bomb detection and disposal squad called by the Irilbung police station safely defused the bomb and later disposed of at the foothill of Awaching in Imphal East the same night.
Denouncing the bomb attack, residents of Kongba Uchekon on March 18 staged a sit-in-protest at the locality.
While denouncing the attack, the protesters demanded clarification if a group is responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, FOCS and other organisations strongly condemned the lobbing of the hand grenade at the house of FOCS’s president Th Manihar.
The attack was an act of cowardly people, the leaders of the organisations told the reporters at a press conference held at the office of the Manipur Women Federation (MWF) at Kakwa in Imphal East district on March 18.
Vice president of FOCS, BM Yaima Shah said that it is not a thing to be done by thinking people or groups in this time of crisis.
He said that Manihar has been playing a significant role played during this time of crisis perpetrated by narco-terrorists since May 3, 2023,
Manihar has been leading FOCS and the organisations collaborating with it since the very beginning of the crisis and he is dedicated to the welfare of the people, he said.
He said that the FOCS and the organisations took the bomb attack at Manihar’s house as a symbolic attack on the FOCS and the organisations working in collaboration with the FOCS.
The vice president said that instead of threatening them with bomb, it would be better to hold talks and bring understanding if there is any misunderstanding in the working of the organisations.
He further urged the perpetrator(s) to come forward and clarify the motive behind the bomb attack.
