FOCS opposes bid to remove VVs from Nongshum
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 19 2024: Meetei village volunteers (VVs) stationed atop Nongshum hills to defend from the relentless attacks by Chin-Kuki militants on Nongshum village in Imphal East district should be removed, stated Federation of Civil Society Organisation (FOCS), Manipur.

According to a statement of FOCS, Chin-Kuki militants continue to attack the Meeteis since May 3, 2023 and challenge the unity and integrity of Manipur.

Chin-Kuki militants have not only torched many Meetei villages but also brutally killed scores of Meeteis while thousands of displaced Meetei people rendered homeless are taking shelter in relief camps.

Continuous attacks by Chin-Kuki militants are also hindering agricultural activities in Meetei settlement areas thereby curtailing means of livelihood of the economically unprivileged farmers, elaborated the FOCS statement.

Further noting that in-spite of deployment of nearly one lakh central armed police force personnel in different areas of the state, Chin-Kuki militants continue to attack Meetei villages in fringe areas where central forces are reduced to mere spectators regardless of ample evidence about the perpetrators using bombs and sophisticated weapons to terrorise the civilians.

Moreover, due to failure of state and central forces in protecting the fringe villages, thousands of Meetei villagers have been reduced to the status of refugees in their own land while Kuki-Chin militants have taken over many Meetei villages arid constructed bunkers.

From these bunkers, Kuki-Chin militants are attacking Meetei villages and local volunteers taking advantage of inaction of the central forces deployed nearby.

Had the Central forces acted and performed their duty of preventing fire-fights with sincerity, no village volunteers would have come out, FOCS reasoned, reiterating that Nongshum and nearby villages in Imphal East district face constant attacks from Chin-Kuki militants.

To defend Nongshum and adjoining villages from Chin-Kuki militant attack, one base camp of the Pambei-led UNLF was set up in the area shouldering responsibility of defending Meetei villages.

However, there is report of the Assam Rifles warning cadres of the peace-talk signatory UNLF to withdraw from the area, the FOCS statement said, while strongly condemning the warning.

According to FOCS, people will fight back if the Assam Rifles continue to exert pressure to withdraw UNLF-P from Nongshum hills but will not oppose to withdrawal of village volunteers from the area if Assam Rifles could guarantee to prevent attacks from Chin-Kuki militants towards Meetei villages.

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