MIYC questions PM's silence on burning woman alive
Why selective silence poser raised
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 21 2023: The Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC) has decried that no political leader or National media spoke a single word of condemnation when Kuki militants burnt alive 80-year old Sorokhaibam Ibetombi inside a house after locking all the doors from outside on May 28 at Serou.

No political leader including Prime Minister Narendra Modi bothered to express a single word of sympathy when the aged and helpless woman was burnt alive by Kuki militants even though her husband was a recipient of the All India Freedom Fighter Tamrapatra Award.

It is rather unfortunate that several quarters including the Prime Minister and National media projected the whole Meitei community as immoral people based on a viral video of some Meitei rogues stripping and molesting two women, the MIYC lamented in a statement.

MIYC questions PM's silence on burning woman alive

However, the Government of India and the Prime Minister have been acting mute and blind to the several incidents happening in Manipur, and they have been trying to cover up their failures by taking a one-sided view of the crisis, it alleged.

The Government of India has been acting ignorant to the open acts of war launched by some people backed by external forces against the people of Manipur with a sinister objective to break up Manipur, it said.

Throughout the years, a large number of people were subjected to all kinds of repressive measures and many women were raped, tortured and killed by Indian military forces who were given extraordinary powers by the infamous Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA 1958.No National media gave any attention nor did any political leader express a single word of sympathy when many Meitei women were attacked, molested or raped in Delhi and other metropolitan cities of India, it said.

It then questioned whether the National media houses are assuming that no Meitei women were raped and killed when Kuki militants attacked Meitei villages and burnt down thousands of houses at different places.

So far, thousands of houses have been burnt down and tens of thousands of people have been rendered homeless.

By launching a series of offensive, Kuki militants have been occupying several Meitei area and thus they are expanding their domain, the MIYC pointed out.

Unfortunately, most of the Indian political leaders and distinguished personalities seem to be unaware of this reality, it remarked.

They cannot even see Manipur as a part of India.

Kargil War broke out in May 1999 when a large number of terrorists sponsored by Pakistan infiltrated and occupied several parts of Kashmir.

But the Government of India is looking the other way when Chin-Kuki terrorists from Myanmar declared war in Manipur, it said.

Even if the perpetrators of the particular incident of parading women naked are punished according to law, it would not be right to mete out collective punishment to all their families by burning down their houses, it said.

Noting that innocent people always suffer casualties in any armed conflict, the MIYC appealed to both the parties in conflict to respect human rights and abide by the Common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions.

Even though many bunkers have been dismantled in areas settled by Meiteis, there are still many bunkers in areas dominated by Kuki militants such as Kanglatongbi, Mapao, Kongba Maru, Senjam Chirang etc.

These bunkers were built in the form of trenches using excavators, it said.

By dismantling bunkers and cracking down on individuals who took part in the people's movement only in the valley areas, the Government has been projecting as if there are already two separate administrations in Manipur.

If the incumbent Government dares, it should open the National Highways and take up necessary action against all those people blocking the highway, the MIYC said.

All the people must unite together and fight collectively against the Kuki terrorists from Myanmar who have declared war in Manipur with a political objective to create a Kuki dreamland called Zalen'gam, it added.