Confirming involvement of militant groups
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: November 14, 2024 -

WHENEVER Meetei villages in the fringe areas are attacked or people belonging to the Meetei community got killed in gunfights in and around Kuki settlements ever since the ethnic conflict broke out in May 2023, Kuki civil bodies had been claiming that the casualties inflicted or attacks launched were carried out by Kuki village volunteers.

Despite contentions by Meetei organisations about involvement of Kuki armed groups, including cadres of outfits bound by the suspension of operation (SoO) pact, Kuki civil bodies had been insisting that Kuki village volunteers or frontline workers are the ones defending the villages.

However, the police confirming that heavily armed militants carried out the attacks on Borobekra police station and nearby CRPF post at Jakuradhor in Jiribam district on November 11, not only-substantiate involvement of armed outfits, including the possibility of cadres of the SoO signatory groups but could also be construed as validation of claims by Meetei organisations that both SoO and non-SoO groups have been spearheading the attacks.

As told to the media on Tuesday by top-ranking police officers, in the Jiribam gunfight security forces neutralised at least 10 militants, whose bodies along with several automatic weapons and RPC were recovered.

Flanked by ICP (Intelligence) Kabib K and DIG K Jayenta, IPG (ops) IK Muivah had stated that the heavily armed militants burned several houses, and attacked Borobekra police station and the CRPF post at Jakuradhor.

In retaliatory firing by the security forces and subsequent gunfight lasting around 45 minutes, a CRPF constable suffered injuries in firing by the militants while 10 bodies of the perpetrators were recovered after the gunfight.

Reflecting on the 10 slain perpetrators and recovery of three AK rifles, four SLRs, two INSAS rifles, one RPC, one pump action gun, BP helmets and several ammunition with magazines, the officer affirmed that the attires of the militants and the recovered weapons leave nothing to doubt that they were trained militants and not village volunteers, as often claimed by Kuki bodies.

With the confirmation about involvement of Kuki militant organisations in the on-going conflict, it is recommended that either the government of Manipur launch investigation to ascertain whether or not SoO signatories have been upholding ground rules of the agreement, including storing the firearms under lock and seal, and confining the cadres in the designated peace camps, or hand over the case to a central agencies.

The investigation, if any, would definitely help unearth the source of the weaponries in possession of the so-called Kuki village volunteers or establish complicity of the SoO groups in the conflict.

As the state police cannot be expected to keep a tab on activities of the SoO groups in case the prevailing tension and unrest situation persist, the best option would be to rope in the service of a central probe agency.

Considering the changing dynamics of the violence - from torching houses and properties belonging to the communities in conflict, to use of high calibre weapons by both sides, it could be safely stated that the conflict wouldn't end by carrying out search operations other than preventing involvement of armed organisations, be they outlawed outfits or those that agreed to cease hostilities.