WMC urges end to SoO for restoring peace
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 30 2023: World Meetei Council-Central Executive Committee (WMC-CEC), while reacting to recent media reports that the Government of India has accepted the demand for deleting the clause for safeguarding the integrity of Manipur in the SoO agreement, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abrogate the SoO with Chin-Kuki militants as only this can restore normalcy in state.

In a release, WMC-CEC secretary general Yambem Arun Meetei said whatever may be the position of the central government it would put on record that when Manipur State Legislative Assembly passed Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015 no one in state except, Chin-Kuki protested by violently attacking Churachand-pur police station leading to nine persons killed in police firing.

The reason for the violent protest was that the Bill had set 1951 as the base year.

About 70 per cent of the present Chin-Kuki population are immigrants and their descendants who migrated after 1951 from Myanmar.

They feared losing their citizenship.

In another incident on August 18, 2015, Chin-Kuki attacked and vandalised almost all Meetei shops at Moreh border town, where they are the majority, to protest introduction of inner line permit system (ILPS), which could check illegal migration from Myanmar.

However, Meetei didn't retaliate thinking they would come to their senses, it claimed.

WMC-CEC continued that on April 27 Chin-Kuki set on fire an open gym at Churachandpur exploding their angst against government's actions against drugs, forest encroachment, poppy plantation, etc., while a Guwahati based media house showed the violence live, sort of promoting - revolting against so called state's injustice.

On May 3, on pretext of protesting against Meetei s ST demand and taking advantage of Meetei's non-violent culture, Chin-Kuki without any provocation from Meetei came and attacked nearby Meetei villages with AK rifles, looted and torched Meetei houses for 2-3 hours without any intervention from Assam Rifles or Manipur Police.

Ferocity of Chin-Kuki shocked and deeply hurt Meetei, who ultimately had to defend themselves.

At night all Meetei homes in Churachandpur numbering about 9000 were destroyed and many Meetei women fell prey to the Chin-Kukis as Assam Rifles could not do anything because of SoO.

That s how Manipur violence began, it elaborated.

WMC-CEC also noted that Chin-Kuki's aim is to carve out a homeland 'Zalengam' conceptualised in the 1980s.According to documents, 'Zalengam' is a well-planned action calendar.

They never speak for peace but only 'Zalengam' /separate administration.

They provoke Meetei firing at them at their own convenience because SoO gives them immunity from Indian Army/Assam Rifles.

Meetei being at the receiving end - about 6,000 Meetei at Moreh and about 3000 in peripheral areas are within striking range of Chin-Kuki s snipers and 2-inch mortars.

It further conveyed that affected Chin-Kuki, especially from the valley area could not be more than 13,000 but Meetei displaced from Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kangpok-pi districts could be no less than 18,000 .

"We don't know the number of casualties on both sides but one Chin-Kuki leader put 250, including 200-plus at Khamenlok for Meetei and Chin-Kuki s casualty are less," it said.

WMC-CEC also asserted Chin-Kuki s aim is to keep trouble brewing to mount maximum pressure on the Government of India.

Question is - how could in a democratic country a group of people who kill fellow men to achieve their 'Zalengam' be given respect and honour and be rewarded.

Instead, they should be contained, disarmed and brought to justice, it emphasised.

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