The Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) has condemned the disposal of the body belonging to the Meitei community in the Southern Angami area, calling it “a deliberate attempt to blame and malign the good name of the Southern Angamis, especially in the wake of Kezoltsa issue.”

The body of Lt. Yanglem Priyobatra Singh (46 years), an Ecco taxi driver, was discovered on 7 January 2023 in Viswema village after he went missing on 30 December 2022.

As per SAPO, Heisnam James Singh (31 years), also Meitei and the main accused of the gruesome murder, was arrested by the police in Manipur on the same day Singh couldn’t be reached.

The organisation has also strongly condemned the Editorial of Imphal Free Press (IFP) titled ‘Dzuko Row: An Unfinished Business’ and published on 10 January 2023 where the Editor stated: “The Southern Angamis must be taught a lesson once for all.”

SAPO expressed shocked at the “unethical and provocative threats” made by a media house and warned “the Editor not to add more fuel into the already burning fire”.

The organisation said it was “unfair” of the Meiteis to take advantage of the hill tribes by interfering “in matters that does not concern them at all”.

Furthermore, the organisation again criticised the Government of Manipur and the Mao Council for continuing to post armed troops in the disputed Kezoltsa, in reply to which “SAPO had resorted to restricting the movement of Mao people in its jurisdiction”.

“SAPO will lift up its restrictions on Mao’s as soon as the Mao Council/ Manipur Government vacates its Armed Troops at Kezoltsa, so that the disputed land can be resolved traditionally without any interference from alien influences and threats”, it reiterated.

The organisation also accused “few of the Mao’s”, who “earned and lived in our Nagaland”, of influencing and misleading the Government of Manipur and IFP into taking such challenging and threatening actions.

“Now one feels that time has come to implement the land and people protection laws including Article 371 A and Innerline Permit framed to safeguard the Nagas of Nagaland,” it added.

SAPO further cautioned that neither the organisation nor the people will tolerate individuals/ groups and “misleading agencies” that interfere in its matters “at the cost of gaining popularity or undue benefits”, stating that it is “ever prepared to go to any extent in safeguarding its land and its people.”