Despite the people’s outcry the commission agents have not been accounted for. Except for the change of the dramatis personae and locale the script remains the same.

This time one youth and his uncle had been caught and their houses torched. They had committed the basic mistake of disclosing their identity after they had lured four minor boys on the false promise of providing jobs. However the suspicious parents learned that the boys were not at the places where they were supposed to have ended up. Assisted by the livid villagers, the commission agents were caught hold of and were told to restore the boys. The two persons stalled for time. When the villagers returned after the expiry of the set deadline they found that the two had fled after squirreling away all valuables. The villagers thereby torched their houses.

Mohammad Masli (14) who was returning home after praying for a dead relative was accosted by two persons after which he was never seen again despite the fact that the villagers raised a large hue and cry. Later the police had arrested Hamom Kiren and Moirangthem Suresh of Khangabok on the charge that they had kidnapped the boy for recruitment into some underground organisations. During interrogation police learned that they had allegedly lured away Mohammad Spring, Moirangthem Thoicha and Ningthoujam Thoithoiba also. These boys are also feared to have been recruited.

Two minor boys, Lairellakpam Nganba and Nganbam Kuber who were playing had been accosted by some youth who came in a car. During perfunctory talks they had been gagged with chroloform soaked handkerchiefs after which they lost consciousness. When they came to, they found themselves on a bed. They stole away from the house and after learning the general location they rang up their parents from a pay phone. The parents rescued them.

In all these instances the police were groping in the dark. Though the parents and villagers are vociferously demanding the restoration of their sons nobody is listening. The Director General of Police Yumnam Joykumar says that since no boy or girl wants to join the underground organisations, they are recruited in this manner.

When their children of around 12 years of age had been lured away, the heart broken mothers moved from pillar to post to have them restored. The local residents also came to their homes to lend support. At least two boys were restored to their mothers. In the case of others, some outfits said that restoration was not possible since they had gone to far off places. Police fear that the boys might have learned some military secrets including the locations of some camps and the identity of the second rank leaders and as such they can not be released. Some letters had been sent in the names of the minor boys consoling their mothers and informing that they will meet again after 15 years. Instead of providing consolation, these letters were excruciating blows to the mothers.

After the basic military training, the boys are put on duty. It is no accident that most of the dead and arrested rebels happen to be young boys. Even poor parents had started sending their sons outside Manipur for education, basically to ensure that their sons do not fall prey to the recruiting agents. However it appears that there is no dearth of minor boys for these commission agents to prey on.

Kavita Laithangbam