A pure case of sour grapes
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 04, 2023 -

HOW charged is the atmosphere today in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, which has been roiled by an unprecedented communal violence between the Meiteis/Meetei and the Kuki-Chin communities since May 3 last, can be known from the two premier investigating agencies of the country coming up with a joint statement to set the record straight on the allegation of high-handedness levelled by Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Front (ITLF), an organisation leading the movement for a separate homeland of the Kuki-Chin people living in some hill districts of Manipur and other civil society organisations (CSOs) of the community.

Officials of the two investigating agencies, namely, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have clarified that every arrest made in the restive state so far is based on evidence gathered by investigation teams and no partiality has been shown against any community, religion or sect, and that only the rule book of Indian Penal Code has been abided by in carrying out their duties by the officials, who are working in an ethnically charged environment despite the dauntingtask of completing investigations in various cases, including those related to attacks on Army personnel in 2015.

The allegation of ITLF and other Kuki-Chin organisations has come close behind the recent arrest of a key leader of a Kuki militant group from Churachandpur district on the charge of transnational conspiracy to wage war against India by stoking the current ethnic unrest in Manipur and picking up of six people including two minors by sleuths of CBI in connection with the murder of two students belonging to Meitei/ Meetei community, whose whereabouts remained unknown after they were reported missing on July 6 last until some photos that revealed their gory end in the captivity of armed Kuki militants surfaced on social media.

As the two premier investigating agencies have made it clear that the baseless allegations were being made only to derail the probe and create confusion among the general public, it is interesting to note here that ITLF and other Kuki-Chin CSOs have been remaining silent on the incident of SUV blast that took place in Kwakta area of Bishnupur district on June 21 which left-three people injured until one of the key accused, who has now turned out to the leader of a Kuki militant group involved in a transnational conspiracy to wage war against India by taking advantage of the current unrest situation in Manipur landed in the net of NIA.

Moreover, it was the women's wing of ITLF which had organised a demonstration in Churachandpur district against the delay in ordering a CBI inquiry into the alleged killing and rape of tribals that took place during the now five-month-long ethnic violence in Manipur when the CBI team entrusted to probe the abduction and subsequent murder of the two missing Meitei/Meetei students in the captivity of armed Kuki militants arrived in Imphal.

So, the allegation of high-handedness levelled against the two premier investigating agencies is not the negation of inefficiency shown by sleuths of NIA and CBI in cracking two important cases that would help in shedding light on the forces behind the current humanitarian crisis in the state that has cost so many lives and caused untold miseries to people of all communities.

Investigation into each and every crime committed during the ongoing conflict is important for ensuring justice to all the victims regardless of to which side of the clash divide they belong to.

So, everyone should ensure the investigating agencies to carry out their work without any hindrance.

But to say that CBI and NIA are working under the pressure of the Government of Manipur and that the Central Bureau of Investigation has become Central Bureau of Imphal is simply laughable.

If the arrested people are innocent as claimed by ITLF and other Kuki-Chin organisations, then, pray, tell us why would CBI or NIA put their reputation at stake by arresting some people randomly under pressure from anyone?