Many more raise abrogate SoO call
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 21 2023:
A day after thousands walked the streets of Thoubal demanding abrogation of Suspension of Operation (SoO) and deportation of all illegal immigrants, Imphal woke up to many Meira Paibi Lups raising slogans and holding placards demanding the same today.
Under the banner of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), Meira Paibi Lups and local clubs organised sit-in demonstrations at Khagempalli Nambul Mapal, Keishamthong Maning Longjam Leikai, Wangkhei Ayangpalli, Naorem Leikai, Okram Chuthek, Khongman, Top Awang Leikai, Takhel and several other places in Imphal East and Imphal West.
The people, mostly womenfolk, raised slogans to protect State's integrity and demanded withdrawal of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement and implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to weed out illegal immigrants from Manipur.
They asserted that the Kuki militants under SoO are breaking ground rules by openly attacking Meitei civilians and burning down their houses in the periphery villages of the valley.
At the sit-in demonstration held at Takhel, COCOMI members and the leaders of the community spoke of the conflict and the present challenges facing the State.
One of the Meira Paibi members, L Bimola said that the violent conflict was instigated and driven by illegal immigrants who want to divide the people and create a separate administration for their gains.
"What the Meiteis want is removal of all external forces that threaten the unity of the people of communities.
We don't want to drive away Kukis, but all illegal immigrants," she said.
Asking the State Government its stand on the demand raised for separate administration, she said all elected members should make their stand public on the issue.
"10 Kuki-Chin MLAs are able to reach Delhi and submit a petition to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for division of the people of the State by demanding a separate administration for the Kuki-Chin people.
While the 10 Kuki-Chin MLAs have done this, what have the remaining 50 MLAs done ?" she asked, stressing that they [50 MLAs] should make their stand clear to the people and the Centre to protect the State's integrity.
COCOMI members, who spoke at the sit-in, stressed that the State's integrity including territory must not be compromised at any cost while taking up all efforts to restore normalcy and lasting peace.
At the Haobam Marak sit-in, organised by womenfolk of Waishel Mapal and Irom Leikai, the protesters held placards demanding the Centre and State Government to bring Kuki militants under control and scrap the SoO agreement.
Panthoibi Apunba Nupi Samaj Yaiphakon secretary Radha Leima said the demand for separate administration being raised is a sinister design of the Kuki militants and individuals who want to disintegrate Manipur.
Lamenting that the State Government and the Centre failed to thwart the violence that started on May 3 during ATSUM's Tribal Solidarity Rally, Radha asserted that initially, before the rally, the Government had claimed that all SoO militants and their weapons were accounted for at their designated camps.
However, in reality, well armed SoO Kuki militants were seen running amok among the people participating in the rally.
Different groups of mobs backed by the armed militants attacked Meitei civilians, killed many and burnt houses, she added.
With increasing uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, many new villages have come up at the foothills in the peripheries of the valley, she said.
While the Meities have ceased all violence, the Kuki militants, openly, in the presence of Central security forces, are still attacking Meitei villages.
The security forces are not responding and engaging the Kuki militants when Meitei villages are attacked.
As a result, the villages in the sensitive areas are not feeling secure even when security forces are deployed in their areas, Radha said, expressing disappointment that the State Government knowingly has chosen to ignore this.
Calling the Government toothless and powerless, Radha also talked about the blockade imposed on Imphal-Dimapur road in Kangpokpi and other Kuki inhabited areas and lamented that the State Government with all its security agencies and Central forces deployed have completely failed to lift it .