CPI calls for unified stand
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 05 2024: A sit-in protest staged by the Manipur State Council-Communist Party of India (MSC-CPI) has called on all political parties and civil society organisations to shed their differences and unite for safeguarding Manipur's integrity.

At the sit-in organised at Irawat Bhawan Imphal today, the party members raised slogans demanding the State Government to fully assert its power amid the conflict and let the State force perform its functions as mandated.

The party members also called on the Government to secure the properties and lives of the people and protect the lives of the village volunteers.

During the protest demonstration, MSC-CPI former general secretary L Sotinkumar said the use of sophisticated drones to target and kill civilians on September 1 at Koutruk is unprecedented and the CPI condemns it in the strongest terms.

The MSC-CPI strongly condemns the killing of a woman.

It was an escalation that clearly shows that the "double-engine Government" has failed to bring peace in Manipur, Sotinkumar said.

He said the MSC-CPI has submitted a complaint to the Governor on the fresh escalation and visited the incident site at Koutruk and talked to the residents.

He further stated that in the wake of the attack at Koutruk, people have apprehension if the Government of India is deliberately supporting the Kuki narco-terrorists.

There were hundreds of Central security forces in the area.

When people were being targeted and bombed using drones, the Central security forces did not do anything to stop the attack, he said.

He added that the attack came after Meitei village volunteers were removed from the area.

Accusing the Assam Rifles in particular of being biased, Sotinkumar said this force should be removed and the State forces must be allowed to guard the vulnerable villages.

On demand being raised by the Kukis, he said, "They first demanded separate administration, then this has now been changed to a demand for a Union Territory.

They should never get this demand and not allow Manipur to be broken" .

He also criticised the Centre and the State Government on the handling of the crisis.

The charge of the Unified Command, which is vital to subdue the armed Kuki militants, has been stripped of the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister has been reduced to a "tiger without teeth" .

Sotinkumar said the MSC-CPI has lost faith in the Government to bring peace.

When the Government had openly declared that peace would return to Manipur in 6 months, the violence has now escalated, he said.

The situation now demands for all the political parties, civil society organisations and Meira Paibis to come together and unite.

A united and strong force is the need of the hour to save Manipur from breaking apart, Sotinkumar said.

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