Kukis need bunkers, Meeteis don't: ITLF
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 04 2023: Strongly opposing decision of the Unified Security Command to destroy all unauthorised bunkers, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) said bunkers are essential to protect Kuki-Zo tribal villages from raids.

According to a statement of ITLF, the decision of the Unified Command chaired by chief minister N Biren to remove all bunkers would make the Kuki-Zo tribal villages vulnerable to attacks by armed Meetei miscreants and mobs.

Despite the deployment of large number of security forces and the setting up of military buffer zones, tribal villages are attacked almost every day leading to deaths and destruction of houses and properties.

Meetei settlements do not need bunkers because tribals do not attack them but for tribals the bunkers are essential part of their defence against unending raids, claimed the ITLF, adding that decision to destroy all bunkers, announced by Biren Singh, "who is the main architect of the current violence", is not comforting for the Kuld-Zo tribals.

The statement further said that tribals cannot trust a CM who calls his fellow citizens 'illegal immigrants' and openly sides with one community despite being head of the state.

The CM's partisanship was on full display during his recent visit to the Sagang area in which Langza village was attacked by armed Meetei.

He only visited and paid his condolences to the Meeteis while totally ignoring the burning of 30 houses belong to the Kuki and its kindred tribes and the brutal killing of an unarmed tribal youth.

Reiterating the demand for imposition of President's rule in Manipur, ITLF spokesman Ginza Vualzong said in the re -lease "two months of killings are enough for every stakeholder to conclude that cosmetic measures are not enough to control the violence.

The Cen- tral government needs to show that it is being fair to all sides by implementing President's Rule in the state' .

The unified security command, in its first meeting chaired by CM N Biren, on Monday decided that the bunkers erected by militants anywhere in the state have to be destroyed.

The chief minister told media persons after the meeting that the Army would lead the operation in destroying the illegal bunkers and would also be joined by other Central paramilitary forces.

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