SoO - Facts and accusations

Koijam Shiva Singh *

The sensational broadcast of June 8th, 2023 evening edition of NorthEast Live News had opened the Pandora box of the infamous Suspension of Operation and shed some insightful lights into the gray areas and the agreement stands exposed to the core. Highly placed security sources talking to the news channel revealed arguably solid facts detailed below, it added.

Firstly, exposure starts with ground-breaking revelation that there is an average attendance of 58% in the 14 SoO camps in Kuki dominated hill districts.

Secondly, following Government instructions per the provisions of the SoO, joint inspection was conducted by State police and Assam Rifles in quick succession since May to compare attendance of SoO cadres. Massive surprise check was undertaken on June 3rd and overall attendance was 58%.

Thirdly, only 2 weapons are found missing and nearly all weapons were found intact. 70 weapons were burnt during violence, 40% of SoO cadres are missing from the camp. Then followed, attendance in SoO camps even prior to May 3rd violence was between 60 to 70% and so there is no abnormality as far as presence of cadres in their designated camps is concerned.

Continuing further, there were several instances of SoO cadres staying in their respective homes but some may have died due to natural causes. Then, followed BSF’s tweet and testimonies that one of their Jawans who lost his life on June 5 was due to attack by armed Kuki miscreants/terrorists.

Taking into account above statements, many unwanted questions and obvious doubts crop up naturally in the minds of the people. Going further, it may be summed up that massive joint inspection was conducted by State police and Assam Rifles since May. This means it happened maybe around the time Security Advisor acknowledged questionable disparity in attendance of SoO cadres in their designated camps and arms but much after the pre-planned genocide had been already unleashed against a particular community in the Wild Wild West Hill District of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh, etc.

It did not clearly specify the starting date of the so-called massive joint inspection which started in May and also the frequency of such inspection till May month end. So, sincerity and efficacy is clogged with doubts and mystery. Then, the source further revealed massive surprise check was conducted on June 3rd and found attendance to be 58%, i.e. more than 40% disparity in attendance.

By this time, considerable time had elapsed, violence had reached its zenith and all possible free hands and permissions were being accused of being given to one community who had started playing victim card successfully in all available social medias and gained free pass to unleash mayhem against another community.

Hypothesis assumptions and accusations are even doing rounds amongst general public that such percentage of attendance would not be accurate or rather much less if the much infamous mercenary force did not help them discretely beforehand. This being more reasonable, accused further, keeping in view the reputation it earned and proofs in local newspapers of discriminately helping one community against the other.

The news broadcast further elaborated quoting security sources that only 2 weapons were found missing but news caption above mentioned 70 weapons were burnt during violence. If only 2 weapons were found missing, then the sort of shootings and destructions visible all around, firepower and ambushes witnessed and casualties amongst civilians and security forces are nothing but mere accusations.

The testimony of health officials that sniper guns were being used and the long range weapons used are all some sort of bedtime stories rather than fact. This then clearly amounts to a naked and blatant attempt to muzzle the voice and truth to safeguard the SoO.

The security source further elaborated that even before May 3rd violence attendance in camps was 60% to 70% and that there is no abnormality as far as presence of cadres in their designated camps is concerned.

There were several instances of SoO cadres staying in their respective homes but some MAY HAVE DIED DUE TO NATURAL CAUSES.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the story here now can have multifaceted twists and turns and benefits of doubts can no longer be unconditionally surrendered to one particular community without questions and accusations being posed because what has happened is not only genocide against unarmed civilians but also an attack to the sovereignty of a Nation as a whole and coup to overthrown democratically elected Government of Manipur thereby to defame the world’s largest democracy.

And going by “only 2 guns were missing” yardstick and narratives, it would then be imperative to make public aware of if indeed 60% to 70% of cadres were present in their camps prior to May 3rd or rather a different story. Now the claim that some cadres might have died due to natural causes is perhaps the area where benefits of doubt and favor can no longer be tilted arbitrarily towards one section for appeasement and to safeguard the SoO discarding all factual truth and ground realities.

So, the scale and nature of the May 3rd holocaust and chain of events pre and post violence need to be investigated in toto to come to tangible conclusion based on truth and facts. Worth mentioning here is the large scale wild fire in hills in all directions few days and week prior to that incident, seemingly a signal amongst miscreants and terrorist that right time to execute the much awaited plan into action has come and accusations whether large scale leaves by employee from particular community, etc. is anything related to that holocaust.

What is more amusing is that in the midst of this is the accusations made by almost all individuals from one section who have been hell bent on portraying themselves as victims as if perpetrators were from opposing camps through social media posts and hues and cries and misleading playcards. This only exposed their strong disbelief for democratic values, glorification of their coerced, forceful and violent politics that can fulfill their dreams even if it is by all means illegitimate and historically and factually hollow and lacks reason.

Hard facts are on the table and people have to wait and watch the sincerity on the part of Central Government in bringing tangible solution based on democratic values and historical facts and not based on force, undemocratic values, coercion, false propaganda and set a strong and positive precedence for everyone to follow irrespective of caste and community and above all with due consideration of removing outdated articles of the Constitution that separates one community from other in the line of Uniform Civil Code.

And last but not the least the good wisdom should prevail in formulating any policy keeping in mind what would be the possible outcome of granting separate administration or any sort of autonomy when narco-terrorism and lawlessness is rampant now even before getting special powers and Manipur is not some big States like Assam, West Bengal etc. where any kind of seed for autonomy, separate administration, etc should be sown that will pave the road for disintegration of the territorial integrity of the State in future which is the sole motive.