Joint meet states stand against 'surrender arms' directives
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 29 2023:
A joint meeting of clubs, meira paibi lups and organisations based in Thoubal and Imphal East has resolved to surrender arms only after all the Meeteis displaced from Churachandpur, Moreh and other places resettle at their native places safely and after Kuki militants and their associates stop their violent campaign against the Meeteis.
The resolution was taken in view of the instruction given by the Government on September 22 to surrender all arms of village volunteers within 15 days.
The joint meeting was convened today at Yairipok Bazar.
The gatherings also resolved that no arms should be surrendered without the consent of the people.
Saying that no police officials should threaten the people to surrender arms as Kuki militants are still hostile towards the Meeteis, they said that the police officials who try to disarm the village volunteers will face the wrath of the people.
The meeting further resolved to mount pressure on the Government to trace and retrieve the bodies of Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi and provide adequate compensation to the victim families in a similar way Rs 10 lakh each was given to the Kuki women who were paraded naked by a mob in the initial stage of the conflict as compensation.
The gatherings went on to ask the Government to withdraw the Central security forces occupying different police stations and to revoke the suspension order of the Officer in Charge of Sekmai police Keisham Premkumar immediately.