Abandoning Jiribam
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 11, 2024 -
EVEN as the revelation of failure of the Security Advisor but also of the Director General of Police (DGP) to take up adequate security measures despite the alert sounded by the office of Chief Minister on the movement of armed Kuki-Zo militants from Churachandpur and reaching Phaitol village, Old and New Kaiphundai area of Tamenglong district bordering Jiribam district as early as mid-January this year is distressing enough, more number of police check posts falling into the hands of armed Kuki militants who are committing arson without any fear and restraint has shown that the people of Jiribam have been left to fend for themselves, literally.
The hard-earned peace in Jiribam got shattered after it became the latest epicentre of the now over one-year-long ethnic conflict between the Meetei/Meitei and Kuki-Chin communities in Manipur following the brutal murder of a 59-year-old man belonging to Meetei/Meitei community by suspected armed Kuki militants on June 6.
Since then, at least three police check posts and one forest beat office have been set on fire by armed Kuki militants.
The fact that the state administration, more particularly its police department, could not save its own police check posts in Jiri Mukh, Choto Bekra and Leisabithol as well as the Gaokhal Forest Beat office from the arson of armed Kuki-Chin militants has left nothing to say on the increasing number of houses in Meetei villages that have been allowed to ransack and reduce to ashes after the occupants were hurriedly 'evacuated' by central security forces to the newly set up relief camps for displaced people.
While the authority of central security forces still owes an explanation to as to why the men in uniform have demonstrated more machismo in evacuating the villagers from their own houses rather than facing the armed Kuki militants, the failure of the Security Advisor and the DGP to take up adequate security in time to prevent communal violence in Jiribam has raised a lot of uncomfortable questions, which need to be answered by the state administration itself.
First of all, what kind of response does the state administration expect from the Security Advisor and the DCP when the Secretary to the Chief Minister reminded them of the instructions given on January 15 last regarding the security measures to be taken up in Jiribam district and requested the Police Department to submit a report by June 11 on the action taken thereon, explaining how violence has flared up in Jiribam and if any adequate security measures had been taken?
The fact that Jiribam district is now up in flames, and armed Kuki-Chin militants are running amok and burning down not only police check posts and forest beat office but also many houses in different parts of the district after the occupants were hurriedly evacuated by the central security forces are damning evidences of not acting upon the instructions given from the office of the Chief Minister.
So, reminding about these instructions and asking for an action taken report sounds so dumb, if not outrightly stupid.
What is the point of asking whether these instructions have been followed now, when even a dimwit would know that it has not?
Secondly, why a confidential document issued by the office of Chief Minister on January 15 last regarding the movement of armed Kuki-Chin militants from Churachandpur inching towards the border of Jiribam district has surfaced all over social media along with another equally confidential document, seeking submission of a report by June 11 on how violence has flared up in Jiribam?
Who could have leaked out such confidential documents?
Obviously, not the common man or woman on the street, who are not privy to the secret communication channels of the government nor the social media users who are only sharing these documents out of concern.
All these anomalies smack of a larger conspiracy to wash hands of abandoning the people of Jiribam to their own fate by everyone concerned starting from an inept administration in the state to the haughty home ministry at the centre that have no regard for the people of Manipur, who have been suffering for more than a year now.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.