Ethnic Conflict : YMNL urges Modi to take up core issues at Parl
Organisations denounce "one-sided" statement of PM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 22 2023: Yumburembi Mama Nupi Lup (YMNL) has urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up and discuss core issues of the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur during the Monsoon session of the Parliament.

Addressing mediapersons at Manipur Press Club this afternoon, joint secretary of YMNL RK Geetarani said it is laudable that Prime Minister made a strong statement against the dehumanising act of a mob parading two women naked in public as seen in a viral video before the commencement of the monsoon session of the parliament.

YMNL also strongly condemns the indecent and immoral activity of the mob on May 4 in the strongest terms and demands justice for the victims, she said.

Ethnic Conflict : YMNL urges Modi to take up core issues at Parl

However, the Prime Minister has not spoken a single word on the core issue till date, she said while adding that the ongoing conflict began when Kukis from Churachandpur district started burning down Meitei settlements in and areas adjacent to the district.

With the situation aggravating and spreading in other districts inhabited by the Kuki community, more than 140 people have been killed and many are missing while more than 50 thousand people are displaced.

However, he has not uttered a single word on it, she lamented.

The PM should know that the integrity of Manipur should not disturbed at any cost nor should there be separate administration in any situation, she reminded.

RK Geetasana also added that an Assembly session should be convened at the earliest to discuss the demand of a separate administration by Chin-Kuki MLAs and stringent actions should be taken up against the separatist MLAs.

She also continued that why the voice of 40 MLAs from valley districts would not be heard when the Central Government readily hears the voice of the 10 Chin-Kuki MLAs.

Meanwhile, Keishamthong Apunba Ima Lup has resented the "one-sided" statement of Prime Minister on viral video while ignoring the massive issue of communal conflict that sparked on May 3 following the "Tribal Solidarity March '' organised by ATSUM.

The Prime Minister's statement has put the whole Meitei community in the wrong light, said president of Keishamthong Apunba Lup Soraisam Shanti at the body's office at Keishamthong Longjam Maning Leikai.

We also condemn the bestial brutality to the women and demand befitting punishment to the perpetrators, she said.

Government of India's hand in aggravating the situation and leading to such indecent and immoral acts cannot be entirely ruled out, she said condemning the Central and State Government's ineffective handling of the Manipur crisis.

It is unfortunate that both the Governments at the State and Centre have failed to rein-in Kuki militants despite blatant violation of SoO ground rules, she said.

She also condemned the Government's silence on discrimination and violation of human rights and alleged raping of Meitei women in Moreh, Churachandpur, buring of one woman alive in Serou.

The blatant partiality shown by the Government of India during this juncture is unfortunate, she said while also calling upon all sections of the society to stand together to fight the attempt to break the State into pieces.

Others too condemn one sided statement

Several women organisations have condemned the act of parading two Kuki women in the nude as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not mentioning anything about Manipur violence while commenting on the naked parade of the two women.

Addressing the media at Lamphelpat yesterday, Nupi Samaj president Thokchom Ramani said that the group of people who disrobed the two Kuki women and paraded them naked in public must be penalised.

Saying that the statement given by the Prime Minister however skipped all other major issues besieging the State and it looked more like taking sides, the meira paibi leader asked if the Prime Minister is concerned about the two women only.

She further asked if the Prime Minister is blatantly ignoring all the crimes against humanity taking place in Manipur since May 3 in the form of displacement of tens of thousands of families, arson, tortures, killings and abductions etc.

Further asking if the Prime Minister wants all Meeteis to be killed by the Kuki militants, Ramani said that Narendra Modi is a biased and incompetent man as he couldn't prevent construction of bunkers and attack on civilians.

She then asked the Prime Minister to not take sides and treat all the citizens equally.

Do the Meeteis have to stand still like a scarecrow even though their lives and properties have been targeted by the people armed with sophisticated weapons, the woman activist asked.

Further urging the Prime Minister to not take sides, Ramani reiterated that the leader of the Nation should have at least taken note of the violence in Manipur other than only showing sympathy to the two women alone.

It is not only the Kukis who are suffering, there are many Meeteis who have been killed, tortured and displaced by the Kuki militants, she said.

Isn't it the responsibility of the elected MLAs to safeguard the rights and properties of the people, she asked and rued that the MLAs couldn't even unite when Manipur is burning.

ICHAL president Tongbram Ibemcha said that many nupi lups in Manipur condemn the May 4 incident.

She however questioned why the Prime Minister didn't speak about all the violence taking place in Manipur.