Fruits of providing refuge to displaced people query raised
New body seeks protection of sacred sites
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 11 2020: Taking strong exception to the act of sacrilege committed by a group of miscreants at the sacred site of Kounu Lairembi, vandalisation of five houses of Leimakhong Chingmang on October 8 and injuries inflicted upon seven villagers, as many as 31 organisations have joined hands and formed a new body called Ilam Tam Yelhoumi Kanba Lup (ITYKL) with the primary objective of protecting the indigenous people of the land.

Notably, a large number of people belonging to several villages of Imphal West district took out a protest rally on October 8 against any attempt to tag Kangpokpi district to the site of National Sports University, Haraothel.

Fruits of providing refuge to displaced people query raised

In the evening of the same day, a group of people who reportedly spoke broken Manipur attacked Leimakhong Chingmang village and damaged five houses apart from inflicting injuries to seven villagers.

Placing five demands before the Government, ITYKL has announced that different modes of intense agitation including indefinite general strike would be launched from October 14 in case the Government fails to fulfil the demands by October 13 .

Speaking to media persons at Thangmeiband Hijam Dewan Leikai this afternoon, ITYKL co-convenor Waikhom Nillakanta said that every one ought the condemn the act of sacrilege committed by a group of people at the sacred shrine of Kounu Lairembi and the harassment meted out to local villagers.

The Government must book all the culprits involved in desecrating the holy shrine and damaging the houses of villagers.

The culprits must repair the damaged temple and tender apology to the public through media, Nillakanta asserted.

The Government must prohibit establishment of new villages by Kuki tribes and other communities at vacant/uninhabited areas of the State with immediate effect.

Many new villages which were not there 30 years back have been set up and given names of different 'vengs' .

"It is was the Meiteis who provided refuge to the people displaced by the Naga-Kuki clash in the early 1990s but they have turned against us and are poised to attack us.

If the Government chooses to remain silent in the face of such hostile attitude, ITYKL would be compelled to launch all kinds of civil movement", Nillakanta said.

He then urged the Government to enact an appropriate legislation to codify and protect all the sacred shrines and sites of sylvan deities worshipped by indigenous people of the land.

If the Government does not confiscate the firearms being wielded by the Kuki tribes, neither the National Security Act (NSA) nor any other law should be invoked when the Meitei youth take up arms in self-defence, he said.

If these demands are not met by October 13, ITYKL would impose indefinite State-wide general strike from 5 am next day in addition to launching different forms of intense agitation in association with other CSOs and the public, he added.