Women join hands with human chain
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 05 2023:
Womenfolk of Kangmong, Heigrujam, Khajiri, Awang Jiri and Khabi Khul formed a 10 Km long human chain raising slogans to protect the State's integrity today afternoon.
Meira Paibis, and members of women organisations of the villages formed the human and raised slogans against Kuki militants under SoO and the Assam Rifles.
The womenfolk accused the Government of India of portraying the present crisis as an ethnic violence between the Meiteis and the Kukis.
"The present violent conflict is between the Meiteis and armed Kuki militants.
Violence may not end if the Kuki militants continue to attack Meitei villages," they said.
Stating that the Central Government has failed to bring the conflict even after completion of one month, the womenfolk said the Centre should no longer tolerate the Kuki militants breaking the ground rules of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) by attacking Meitei villages and killing innocent civilians.
The Centre and the State Government should end the SoO agreement and declare them terrorists, they said.
The womenfolk then went on to assert that they do not trust the Assam Rifles and accused the AR of blocking and disturbing the State police force from performing its duties.
They demanded that the Assam Rifles be removed from the State and deploy the Border Security Force (BSF) instead.
The violence that first erupted on May 3 was pre-planned and executed by Kuki militants and radical groups to convert it into a full blown communal clash and build the foundation for forwarding their demand for a separate administration, which would give them control and autonomy and facilitate poppy trade, the womenfolk said, adding "there will be no separate administration inside Manipur" .