Militant groups recruiting kids

In what is seen as a move to recruit kids into their ranks, militant outfits in Manipur have been kidnapping school-going boys claiming that they had joined their outfits willingly, official sources said in Imphal on Monday.

In the second such incident within a week, two schoolboys reported missing from Thoubal Kiyam Siphai area in Thoubal district, were kidnapped by a militant group on July 8.

The boys, AK Ajoy and AK Bipin, both aged 13 were studying in Class VIII, sources said.

Parents of both the boys told local media last evening that a thorough search for the kids had not yielded results.

Medha, mother of Bipin, said she received a telephone call on July 9 night from a spokesman of the banned People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak), General Secretary group, informing her that the boys were in custody of Prepak.

She said the caller had told her that the boys had joined the outfit 'willingly' but said that her son had gone to a nearby canal for fishing.

Both the parents said they had received calls from Prepak General Secretary group telling them not to approach police or media but said they had informed the Thoubal police. They were also told that the boys would be 'released' soon.

They said due to threats from the outfit they did not contact the media immediately and appealed to the Prepak General
Secretary group to free the boys without harm.

Last week, two other boys, Y Naobi (13) and Lan Ngamba (11), were kidnapped from Iroisemba in Imphal West district.
Later a spoksman of the militant outfit Prepak Cobra Task Force group told the parents that the boys had 'willingly' joined the Prepak Cobra Task Force group.

Following public protest, Naobi and Ngamba were handed over to Iroisemba Youth Development Club by the militants on July 12, sources said.