EGI report fuelling crisis, FIR lodged: CM Biren
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 04 2023: Coming out strongly against the report of the fact-finding team of the Editors' Guild of India (EGI), chief minister N Biren Singh has said that FIRs have been lodged against three members of the fact finding team and EGI president for presenting factually wrong report about the crisis in Manipur.

When various committees led by retired chief justices under the supervision of the Supreme Court and Central government have already initiated their investigations to find the root cause of the crisis, some vested interest groups are sending their fact-finding teams and publishing reports as if they have brought a conclusion.

On such reports was that of EGI released few days back which could further fuel the crisis, Biren said while addressing media persons at CM secretariat on Monday.

The EGI released report of its own fact-finding team in a sub-judice manner and brought conclusion to the present crisis by blaming the government and a particular community, Biren said adding the state government and people condemn the report in the strongest term.

CM Biren also said that FIR has been lodged against EGI fact-finding team members Seema Guha, Sanjay Kapoor and Bharat Bhusan as well as EGI president in connection with their report.

Briefing media persons on the development, N Biren said Union home minister Amit Shah had already spoken in Parliament and highlighted the complexity of the present crisis.

Despite this, some vested interest groups are sending their fact finding teams to Manipur and placing reports independently in the public domain.

Their reports, however, could fuel the crisis, he said and highlighted another fact-finding team of a political party which had likened the crisis to state-sponsored.

According to Biren, the state government does not take lightly reports blaming only a particular community or the government without any proof or evidence when people are in so much pain and suffering.

He also said that FIRs have been lodged to initiate legal actions against such leaders.

Questioning members of the EGI fact-finding team about their knowledge of North East, the history of Manipur and complexity of the present situation, Biren said the EGI team should understand background of the crisis, how it happened, began and allow completion of the investigations of the various committees.

How could they come to a conclusion without any background knowledge, the chief minister wondered and also picked a few faults from the report EGI had made public.

Asking the EGI fact-finding team not to visit Mani pur without understanding history of the land, the chief minister said violence started in Churachandpur on May 3 from 10.30 am and there are enough evidences including video proof.

Questioning as to how they could call themselves editors, Biren said it is shameful that EGI members who do not understand the Indian Forest Act came as a fact finding team.

It was unfortunate that EGI fact-finding team members claimed that eviction was carried out against only one community and explained that during 2015 and 2023 altogether 413 houses were evicted from Reserved Forest (Protected Forest) areas for the welfare of the general public to check poppy plantation and prevent global warming, Biren said and clarified that there were only 59 houses of Kuki community out of the total 413 houses evicted in the series of drives.

He also said that 143 Meetei houses, 137 Meetei Pangal houses, 38 Naga houses and 36 Nepali houses were evicted during the drives carried out from 2015 to 2023.The chief minister called independent fact-finding teams sent to Manipur including that of EGI as anti-establishments as they came to spread communal venom to further fuel the crisis.

They should have first sought proof and evidence, he said adding that both communities are victims and should be treated and consoled equally.

Condemning in the strongest term the incident of two women attacked by a mob on May 4 of which a video went viral, the chief minister said no one came out to appreciate those Meetei women who saved and clothed the two women and took them to a safe location.

Further urging all not to take silence of the government on certain issues as timidity, the chief minister said actions of the government will eventually speak out for itself.

While maintaining that safeguarding and protecting the land is government's main objective, the chief minister said FIR has been lodged against those who asked Tamil community in Moreh to leave the border town if unable to pay extortion amount and issued statement to disallow entry of Meetei in Moreh without a solution.

He warned that government has been exercising restraint not wanting to escalate the crisis and in order to control the violence.

He further appealed to all people of the state to work together to bring peace.

Replying to a query raised by media persons, N Biren said there is no decision to remove two Kuki ministers who could not work due to the present situation.

He also disclosed that some ministers are working through e-office due to the compelling situation.

To another question, the chief minister replied that there are 200-300 personnel of state force in Moreh and combined force of state and Central forces are conducting joint operation at Naransena area.

The press conference was also attended by ministers Govindas Konthoujam, Dr Sapam Ranjan Singh and Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh, and MLA Kh Joykisan Singh.

The two apex bodies of journalists in Manipur, the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and the Editors Guild Manipur (EGM), have also denied the allegations, saying that the EGI report was "misleading" and "full of inaccuracies" .

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