Imphal/Guwahati
Amid a fresh spate of violence as a Central team has sought to assess the ground situation in Manipur by engaging the Kukis and the Meiteis, outfits representing both the warring communities have only hardened their stance against each other.
Given the scenario, the prospect of ushering in a lasting peace anytime soon looks not too bright particularly given the ever-deepening mistrust between the Kukis and Meiteis.
On Wednesday, almost all Meitei MLAs in Manipur besides Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs representing the valley areas of the State made sure their attendance at the Kangla Fort in Imphal on the diktat of the radical Meitei group Arambai Tenggol even as the government machinery had made heavy security deployment. The Kangla Fort had served as the royal seat of the Manipur kingdom till 1891.
In his address, self-styled Arambai Tenggol chief Korounganba Khuman claimed, “The legislators including Chief Minister N Biren Singh today assured to convey (its demands) it to the Centre. Our points included removal of Suspension of Operations (SoO), implementation of NRC, replacement of Assam Rifles and removal of Kuki illegal immigrants from Scheduled Tribe list to bring peace.” He claimed that the elected representatives assured to act in 15 days’ time.
“What we wanted to show today is that ministers and MLAs are under the public,” he asserted. Arambai Tenggol has also demanded deportation of refugees to camps in Mizoram besides border fencing.
While Chief Minister N Biren Singh did not arrive at Kangla, Minister of State for External Affairs and Inner Manipur Lok Sabha MP Rajkumar Ranjan Singh and Rajya Sabha Leishemba Sanajaoba were present besides the MLAs including former CM Ibobi Singh.
Arambai Tenggol is a radical group with around 50,000 armed volunteers who guard the villages in the valley areas of the State.
The Meitei congregation happened soon after a 3-member team of the Ministry of Home Affairs visited Manipur and held talks with both the communities in a bid to assess the ground situation and explore the options of restoring peace and normalcy in the State hit by ethnic clashes since May 3 last year. The team, led by Indo-Naga peace talk interlocutor AK Mishra, will submit its report to Home Minister Amit Shah.
As many as 8 persons, including two commandos and a father-son duo, were killed in a span of three days last week in fresh round violence perpetuated by militants as well as those from the two warring communities,
For its part, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), which too had a meeting with the representatives of the MHA team, kept its own demands. Further, it said the MHA team’s “unsettling meeting” with AT raised “grave apprehensions” regarding its strategy for addressing the protracted ethnic crisis, now spanning eight months.
The KIM alleged that Arambai Tenggol is illegally in possession of over 6,000 sophisticated weapons and a significant stockpile of ammunition was purportedly provided by the Manipur government itself while it’s well known that AT is acknowledged for harboring Valley-Based Insurgent Groups (VBIG).
“Furthermore, it seems fitting for the Ministry of Home Affairs to take decisive action against organisations like Arambai Tenggol, its patrons, and sympathizers, given the multitude of anti-constitutional activities perpetrated by the organisation,” stated KIM even while imploring the Ministry of Home Affairs to not only scrutinise the alarming situation but also proactively bring an end to Arambai Tenggol.
The KIM conveyed its unwavering trust in the Government of India to safeguard the Kuki-Zo community from AT and asserted that the Kuki-Zo leadership “stands resolute, prepared to ardently safeguard our collective dignity and unwavering integrity to the utmost extent”.
“In the face of potential threats to our community’s well-being, we stand united, poised to confront any challenges that may jeopardize the cherished values and identity of the Kuki-Zo people,” it added.
