Army accused of siding with Kuki militants
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 29 2024:
At least seven village authorities and committees have accused the Indian Army of stoking the violence in Manipur by allowing Kuki militants to set up bunkers right under their nose.
In a lengthy letter addressed to Union Home Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the Laikot Kom Village Authority, Laikot Phaizol Village Authority, Laikot Kharam Village Authority, Yaingangpokpi Village Committee, Thamnapokpi Village Committee and Sabungkhok Khunou Village Development Committee and Development Committee Sanasabi of Lamlai Constituency said that Laikot Kom Village.
Laikot Phaizol Village and Laikot Kharam Village are inhabited by Kom and Kharam tribes who belong to Scheduled Tribe community while Yaingangpokpi, Thamnapokpi, Sanasabi and Sabungkhok Khunou Village are mainly inhabited by the Meitei community.
Saying that Kom and Kharam people have been coexisting peacefully with other communities since the last many years, it added that Kom and Kharam people have not been taking sides amid the crisis in Manipur.
Further stating that building bunkers atop Sangran Hill by Kuki militants may portray Kom and Kharam people in tl e wrong light as Kom and Kharam villages are situated at the foot of Sangran Hill, it added that Kuki militants have also started building about 15-20 bunkers in the hill areas adjoining Meetei villages.
The Meeteis may suspect the involvement of Kom and Kharam people in attacking Meetei villages in case there is arm conflict between the two sides, it said and added that Kuki militants, after all, have been scheming to create enmity between Meeteis and Kom and Kharam people.
Saying that the construction of bunkers atop Sangran Hill under Khamenlok Gwaltabi Reserve Force by armed people was detected on November 25, the village authorities and committees urged the Government to dismantle the bunkers.
They also said that the matter has been informed to the Lamlai AC MLA.
Recalling that a team of Indian Army came to Laikot on November 26 at around 9.30 am and they assured the villagers that the bunkers will be removed, it added that one person who introduced himself as an Army officer (shown as Karan in Truecaller) called one of the village's youth at around 1.30 pm of the same day.
Saying that another person who identified himself as the chief of Chanung, a Kuki village, who opposed the removal of the bunkers asked the chief of Laikot Village to come to Simol Army outpost during the telephonic conversation, it claimed that the Indian Army is allowing the Kuki militants to construct the bunkers and the same poses a serious risk to the Kom and Kharam people as well as the Meeteis residing near the area.
Villages located to the east of Khamenlok Gwaltabi Reserve Forest range viz Sanasabi, Thamnapokpi, Yaingagpokpi Shantikhongbal and Sabungkhok Khunou have been enduring persistent violence since May 2023, it reminded.
Saying that Kuki militants have been attacking Meetei villages from elevated positions such as Thamnapokpi Uyok Ching, Yaingangpokpi Uyok Ching and Twichin/Sangran foothills, it added that the Indian Army has failed to stop the militants despite the hostilities.
The village authorities and committees allegedly blocked internal roads in Meetei areas including Sabungkhok Khunou and Shantikhongbal on multiple occasions by accusing Meetei villagers of firing first.
Maintaining that proliferation of militant's bunkers in the reserved forest area is alarming, it added that nd efforts, however, have been put in to dismantle the structures.
It went on to claim that the Indian Army allowed militants to abduct one Laishram Kamalbabu from inside the Leimakhong Army base camp.
Saying that Indian Army and paramilitary force need to act neutrally to restore peace in Manipur, it urged the Union Minister, the Defence Minister and the Chief Minister to replace the Army units led by Brigadier PK Singh with either CRPF or BSF who will work neutrally to restore peace in Manipur.
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