Demand to safeguard village volunteers gains momentum
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 21 2025: Different women's organisations have taken a strong stance against any attempt to crack down on village volunteers, asserting that they will resist such efforts with all their might.

Addressing the media at Nupi Samaj office at Lamphelpat today, Apunba Nupi Lup (ANUL), Bishnupur president L Nganbi Leima asserted that the demand to protect village volunteers is entirely appropriate and justified.

It was the Government's failure to ensure safety and security that forced many young people to take matters into their own hands and become village volunteers, she said.

Urging the urged the Government to provide protection to village volunteers who are risking their lives to safeguard their communities against attacks by Kuki militant groups operating under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) pact, Nganbi Leima added that any attempts to harass or arrest village volunteers would be met with strong resistance from the public, especially mothers.

On the appeal being made by the Governor to surrender illegal arms within seven days, the activist said that the Governor should understand what sparked the conflict in the first place rather than just focusing on the symptoms.

Saying that the conflict in Manipur is not just a law and order problem, but rather a deliberate attempt by some individuals to seize the State's land by attacking the Meiteis, she added that the Governor and the Government need to focus on addressing the underlying cause of the conflict.

Harassing village volunteers who risk their lives to protect Meeteis instead of disarming Kuki miscreants who want to keep the State on the boil is unacceptable, she said.

The village volunteers will definitely surrender all the arms in their possession if the Governor can guarantee that Kuki miscreants won't attack the Meeteis ever again, Nganbi Leima said.

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