KSO denounces COCOMI's call for AR withdrawal
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, July 27 2024: Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) General Headquarters has issued a strong rebuttal to the recent memorandum submitted by Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which calls for withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the state.

KSO described COCOMI's allegations of bias and inefficacy against Assam Rifles as "fundamentally flawed" and "acking substantiated evidence" .

COCOMI's memorandum centres on a statement made by former Border Security Force (BSF) Additional Director General (ADG) PK Mishra, who alleged a "close link" between Assam Rifles and Kuki militants.

KSO argues that this claim is speculative and overlooks Assam Rifles' mandate to maintain neutrality and ensure the safety of all communities in Manipur.

KSO emphasises that Assam Rifles, along with other Central security forces, have consistently worked to mediate and manage the crisis impartially.

The accusation that Assam Rifles failed to act against Kuki militants is unfounded, according to KSO.

The organisation pointed to numerous reports and evidences indicating that Central forces, including Assam Rifles, have actively engaged in operations to curb violence and restore peace.

Notably, during the recent floods in the valley area and Imphal city, Assam Rifles played a crucial role in rescuing flood victims and providing them with safe passage, shelter, and food.

KSO asserts that without Assam Rifles' intervention, casualties in the valley during the floods could have been significantly higher.

KSO dismisses the social media links provided by COCOMI in the memorandum as baseless and lacking evidence.

They also clarified that the incidents in Dolaithabi under Saikul sub-division were the work of valley based insurgency groups, where many Kuki villages were attacked and burned, but the blame was unjustly placed on the Kuki community.

Furthermore, KSO stated that the videos presented by COCOMI were taken in Myanmar before the ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, and are not related to the current situation in Manipur.

They also highlighted an incident in Sugnu area, alleging that Meetei militants used Assam Rifles' Casspir vehicles to attack and burn Kuki villages.

One of the videos cited in the memorandum was reportedly of a Kuki National Front (KNF) designated camp undergoing a routine inspection, misleadingly portrayed as a war zone.

KSO concluded by urging the Central government to take action against COCOMI for making unsubstantiated allegations against Assam Rifles and disseminating false information.

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