'Over 5 lakh Burmese Kukis have intruded into Manipur'
Narco-terrorists behind violence : Susindro
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 08 2023: CAF & PD Minister L Susindro Meitei has said that the ongoing violence in Manipur was instigated by Kuki narco terrorists for taking up a drive against poppy plantations and preventing them from indulging in illicit drug business.

He made the statement during a programme held at the relief camp set up at the farmers' hostel of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services at Porompat, today.

During the function, the Minister distributed special job cards to the displaced people from Moreh and other places taking refuge at the relief camp.

Speaking at the function, Susindro continued that about 5,00,000 to 7,00,000 Burmese Kukis have intruded into Manipur according to the report of Myanmar based news channel Mizzima TV.

Narco-terrorists behind violence : Susindro

It is believed that majority of the Myanmar Nationals who entered Manipur illegally may be those who reside near the Indo-Myanmar border, he added.

Appealing to one and all to assist in preventing the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, Susindro said that the violence will intensify if more people from Myanmar enter the Indian soil illegitimately.

Meeteis and Nagas constituted about 64 percent of the population of Moreh at one time but the border town has now become a Kuki dominated area, he said.

Majority of the people living in the valley districts are unarmed and civilians but the reality is otherwise in Kuki dominated districts, said the Minister and claimed that almost all the Kuki families in hill districts possess guns either in the name of Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement or for hunting purposes.

He also claimed that the Kuki militants have resumed their campaign against Meeteis to keep the State on the boil and the same is very unfortunate.

The water crisis besieging Manipur is directly associated with the large deforestation in hill districts, the Minister said and added that he himself had taken part in the aerial survey of the forest areas in hill districts ahead of the May 3 incident and the finding was disastrous at Churachandpur.

The Minister said that he saw widespread poppy plantations in Kuki dominated areas.

Saying that the Government doesn't undermine the interest of any community, big or small, Susindro maintained that some section of Kukis accusing the Government of being biased against them is baseless.

Reminding that the Government constituted a Cabinet sub-committee before the violence with Kuki Minister Letpao Haokip as the Chairman to identify illegal immigrants, the Minister continued that the committee had representatives from Kuki, Naga and Meetei.

If the Government was communal it would never appoint Letpao Haokip as the Chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee to look into the problem of illegal immigrants, he reasoned.

Claiming that the some Kukis have been carrying out a campaign to drive out Meeteis from Moreh and occupy their land, Susindro alleged that the Kuki miscreants again uploaded video of them looting from the abandoned Meetei houses and depicted it as security forces oppressing the Kukis.

The Assam Rifles has also rejected the claim that security forces oppressed the Kukis at Moreh during the search operation after the killing of SDPO Ch Anand Kumar, he added.

The State Government faces some problems in restoring normalcy in Manipur as the post of unified command has been taken away from the Chief Minister, Susindro maintained.

Meanwhile, the Minister said that the Meeteis who have been living at Churachandpur don't possess any land pattas and the same is very unfortunate.

"I shed tears when I realise that Meeteis at Churachandpur have been living there so miserably," he said.

Imphal East Deputy Commissioner Khumanthem Diana and other Government officials also took part in the programme.