Its an outcome ot appointing retd Meitei armyman as SSP: Kuki bodies
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, September 08 2023: Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of Kuki tribes; Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi and Indig enous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) have vehemently condemned the alleged terror attack by Meiteis on Pallel Kuki village wherein one Kuki village volunteer lost his life, and many houses were burnt to ashes at Pallel Bazar.

Notably, ten days after the appointment of retired colonel Nectar Sanjenbam to the post of SSP (Combat), Tengnoupal, a fresh heavy-firing incident occurred when Pallel Kuki village was relentlessly attacked on Friday morning allegedly by a heavily armed Meitei militants.

KIM information and publicity secretary Janghaolun Haokip said that the attack by the Meiteis on the Kukis is a clear picture of N Biren Singh's 'Double Standard Governance' -the hijacking of the state machinery in the aggression and persecution against the Kukis.

"Such a dastardly attack is a clear reflection of the urgency for a just and durable solution to the political demands of the Kukis", he added.

Janghaolun also alleged that the recent appointment of retired colonel Nectar Sanjembam to the post of SSP (Combat), Tengnoupal is raising eyebrows on the constitutional validity of the appointment besides the ulterior motive of the state government to advance the ethnic cleansing against the Kukis.

He further claimed that at a time when peace initiatives are being undertaken by the central leadership in maintaining buffer zones with the deployment of heavy security forces in the peripheral areas, it is deeply reprehensible and appalling that the Meiteis could evasively attack Pallel, pushing the situation to the brink of spiralling out of control.

Moreover, an ever-present risk looms that such brutal attacks in Pallel may spill into Tengnoupal and Moreh, where the humanitarian situation continues to worsen, he added.

Janghaolun continued that it is pertinent to reiterate that security and stability in Manipur will not be achieved until the Kuki people attain their legitimate rights, the right to govern and administer under a separate political unit, which will be devoid of Meiteis' hegemony.

Kuki Inpi Manipur will, under no circumstances, accept co-existence with oppression, suppression, and the evil forces persistently attempting to obliterate the Kukis, he asserted.

Meanwhile, CoTU Media Cell alleged that since day one of the violence, the state leadership showed partisan colour in its attitude and the law-and-order agency of the state has been compromised.

The attack on Pallel, Molnoi area by the radical Meitei-militia this morning is a clear outcome of the appointment of a retired Meitei army officer as a SSP (Combat) in the state police department, it alleged.

Stating that the rules of appointment are nowhere found in the Constitution or in any recruitment rules, CoTU urged the central government to intervene and revoke the appointment to maintain the sanctity and image of the Indian Army, It also cautioned that there will be numerous protests to condemn the illegal appointment which is purely based on ethnic lines.

On the other hand, ITLF media and publicity secretary.

Ginza Vualzong, in a release, said that as India prepares to host the annual G20 summit in the capital, Meitei radicals have decided to steal the national headlines by renewing their attack on Kuki-Zo tribals in Manipur.

He alleged that in the latest assault on Friday, Meitei gunmen dressed in police commando uniforms attacked Pallel, a Kuki-Zo village in Tengnoupal district, leading to the deaths of at least one jawan and a village volunteer.

Ginza also claimed that as seen in the past, Meitei women (meira paibis) blocked security reinforcements from reaching the area, showing again that they were at the vanguard of the violence.

The Pallel area's attack has come 10 days after retired colonel Nectar Sanjenbam was appointed to lead the commando battalion of the Manipur Police, and one wonders if this is just a precursor for things to come, he added.

Ginza further observed that hosting the G20 summit is a matter of national prestige, and ITLF does not want to embarrass the government in front of leaders of the world's major economies with news of ethnic killings in its backward during the event, while adding that they want political talks to progress and have been trying to maintain peace ever since Union home minister Amit Shah visited the state and appealed for an end to the violence.

However, it is clear that some sections of the Meitei community do not want peace and are intent on grabbing attention by fuelling the flames of hatred, he maintained.

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