The house of Yambem Laba, a journalist with The Statesman and long-time critic of Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh, was shot at by unidentified assailants at Uripok Yambem Leikai in Imphal West in the early hours of Wednesday. Laba, who was unhurt, subsequently filed a police complaint with the Imphal West SP.
Around 10 rounds were fired from INSAS rifles by assailants who arrived at Laba’s house in a four-wheeler at 3 am, according to a statement issued by Laba.
“The assailants arrived in a four-wheeler vehicle at my residence located in Uripok Yambem Leikai, Imphal, within Imphal police station limits. The gunmen fired about 10 rounds, five of which hit the parapet outside my bedroom. They used INSAS rifles, the type of weapon which is issued only to the Central and security forces,” the statement said.
Laba is a special representative with The Statesman and a former acting president of the Manipur Human Rights Commission. He is also president of a political party, Good Governance Party, formed in Imphal over two months ago.
In a short call with Newslaundry, Lamba termed the attack “political”. “Today's attack is not an isolated case as other journalists critical of the present regime had also come under attack,” he said.
This is the second time Laba’s house has come under attack in the last four months. On May 27, unidentified gunmen attacked a house belonging to him in Monongjam village in Heignang assembly constituency. They then entered the building and ransacked his office. Laba was away at Delhi at the time.
Criticism of CM Singh
Before the attack, Laba had criticised CM Biren Singh for his handling of the Manipur conflict, raging for the last 16 months. In a recent TV interview, he said: “Manipur is not Biren, Biren is not Manipur.”
A week ago, the Good Governance Party in a press release, signed by Lamba, asked people: “Should we continue to save Biren or save Manipur instead?”
The press release, issued on September 6, accused Singh of “abandoning” the Meiteis after “long-range rockets” fired from the Hills hit Imphal West’s Koutruk region on September 1, killing two and injuring 10.
“The time has come for all the BJP/NPP/NPF/JD(U) Legislators to openly come out and say ‘PLEASE LEAVE THE CHAIR SHRI BIREN’. Perhaps the time has come for the people of Manipur to follow the recent uprising in neighbouring Bangladesh when the student’s led movement led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” the statement said.
Days later, a video was circulated on social media showing a group of masked men threatening the public with dire consequences if they did not unite to fight against the Kuki-Zo community. “No BJP, Congress or Good Governance Party should come between us,” one of the masked men said in the video. Laba told Newslaundry that the message was aimed at him. Newslaundry could not independently verify the video.
In October last year, human rights activist Babloo Loitongbam’s house in Imphal was attacked by unidentified men after he criticised the role played by radical armed groups such Aarambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun. In December, former police officer Thounaojam Brinda’s house was ransacked by Meira Paibis, a vigilante group, for her critical views on Tenggol.
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