Kuki-Zo protest Jiribam incident
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, November 12 2024: A large gathering of Kuki-Zo protesters at Gamgiphai in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday, expressed outrage over the Jiribam incident, which they blame on the CRPF, Under the banner of Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the protesters chanted, "CRPF Down Down" demanded justice and an end to targeted violence against their community.

CoTU leaders decried the claims by Manipur police that 10 Kuki militants were "neutralised" after allegedly attacking CRPF posts in Jiribam.

They accused CRPF of collaborating with Manipur police and armed Meetei groups to carry out coordinated violence.

The protest also highlighted the November 7 attack on Zairawn village, where a 31-year-old schoolteacher was charred to death in an attack by Meetei.

CRPF did not intervened inspite of presence in the area, they alleged.

During the protest, CoTU spokesperson Ng Lun Kipgen condemned CRPF's actions, claiming they betrayed the trust of Kuki-Zo volunteers who had always refrained from raising arms against central security forces.

Kipgen also criticised the government's decision to replace the "neutral" Assam Rifles with CRPF, calling it an act of appeasement that exacerbated violence.

Kipgen called for the CRPF's immediate withdrawal from Kuki-Zo villages, and reinstatement of Assam Rifles.

Kuki Inpi Jiribam, Tamenglong, and Noney (KIJTN) also condemned the incident as a "cold-blooded murder" and called for investigation by a central agency.

Comment