Manipur RTI activists hiding from NSCN (I-M) seek support

They fear they may be killed after the ongoing COVID-19 curbs are relaxed

Two Manipur Right to Information (RTI) activists, in hiding for more than a year for seeking to know how the funds for a tribal council were spent, have sought the support of the people and the authorities before they are silenced by an extremist group. In an open letter on Friday, P. Johnson Samo and P.R. Amose said they had been on the run from the local leaders of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, or NSCN (I-M) for seeking information on utilisation of public money allocated by the Centre to the Autonomous District Council in Senapati district since 2015. Mr. Samo is from Taphou Phyamai village and Mr. Amose from Khabung Khunou, both in Senapati district. Their RTI application followed allegations of misappropriation against the council’s chief executive officer (CEO) and four others.