Delhi-based CSOs call for decisive action
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 09 2024: Three Delhi-based civil society organisations (CSOs) - Delhi Manipuri Society (DeMaS), Meitei Heritage Society (MHS), and Ningol United Progressive Initiative (NUPI) - have condemned the recent aerial bombings in Manipur by Kuki militants, accusing them of being backed by foreign elements.

At a press conference held in New Delhi, the three organisations called for urgent action from both the Central and state governments, raising concerns over national security threats posed by the attacks.

Informing this in a joint statement, the three organisations recalled the aerial assaults that occurred on September 1 and 2, when Kuki militants used military-grade drones to bomb villages in the valley, followed by armed aggressions on foot.

The attackers, disguised in an ambulance, opened fire on civilians, resulting in the deaths of a young mother and a man, and injuring 10 others, including a minor girl, a policeman, and a journalist.

In the aftermath, the militants committed arson and plunder, forcing villagers to flee.

According to the joint statement, Col Kishore Chand (Retd), Col Shanti Kumar Sapam (Retd), Indigenous People's Forum president Ashang Kasar, and Dr Amlan Dutt, a researcher, raised serious concerns about the failure of security forces to prevent the attacks during the press conference.

Despite advance alerts and the presence of around 70,000 security personnel in the state, no pre-emptive action was taken to thwart the drone strikes, they pointed lamented.

The CSOs demanded immediate and decisive action to neutralise the Kuki militants responsible for the attacks.

They reiterated their calls for strict enforcement of Article 5 (x) of the Revised Ground Rules of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreements (2011), which allows the state government, upon recommendation from the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), to terminate the SoO agreement and use force if militant groups violate the terms.

The organisations also appealed for replacement of Assam Rifles with a neutral security force, accusing the Assam Rifles of being partisan.

They emphasised the need for greater security arrangements to protect civilians from further violence orchestrated by what foreign enemy-backed Kuki terror outfits destabilising Manipur.

The CSOs urged the Government of India to view the ongoing conflict as more than a localised ethnic issue, stressing that Kuki militants pose a broader threat to India's national security.

They called for immediate and robust action from the Central government to protect the integrity of Manipur, maintain the rule of law, and restore communal harmony in the violence-torn region.

The press conference highlighted the ongoing crisis in Manipur and the growing concern that foreign elements are playing a role in fuelling the conflict.

The CSOs urged the government to act swiftly to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of Indian citizens in the state, the joint statement said.

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