KIM, ITLF oppose inclusion in peace committee
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 12 2023:
Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) strongly objected to in-clusion of its representative in the Peace Committee consti-tuted by the Centre without prior consultation while the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Fo-rum (ITLF) strongly condemned inclusion of CM N Biren Singh in the committee.
In separate statements, KIM stressed that peace must be the result of concerted efforts of the Union Home Ministry and the affected communities and based on the condition to impose normalcy as the ITLF contended that Peace Com-mittee must be formed only after conditions of normalcy and security for the Kuki tribal villages have been secured for a certain period of time.
According to the KIM state-ment, it is compelled to object the Peace Committee as its president was listed a mem-ber without prior and proper consultation and information.
The Inpi never objected to any peace effort envisaged to de-liver justice but the selection of Peace Committee members was an exception as the KIM sees no rationale to pursue for peace solely with individuals who have engineered ethnic cleansing against the Kuki.
It also said that government of Manipur led by CM N Biren has lost all credibility by orches-trating communal attacks and sponsoring radical and extrem-ist groups against the Kukis.
It also said that the Kukis want peace that must entail the es-sence of justice which can only be realised with the immediate cessation of all state-sponsored violence and attacks on the Kuki people and their habitations.
Subsequently, KIM does in no way wel-come any idea of peace amidst violence that continues to threaten the integrity, safety and security of Kuki land and people.
On the other hand, ITLF held CM Bi-ren responsible for the ongoing violence and condemned his inclusion in the Peace Committee.
While reiterating the need for normalcy to prevail before the constitution of any such Peace Committee, the ITLF said no normalcy can be maintained as long as the state police and Meitei groups are given free rein to attack Kuki-Zo tribal villages in the foothills and preventing the Central armed forces from taking control of the situation.
This necessitates the immediate imposition of President's Rule in order to curb the incursions made by Meitei and state police on Kuki-Zo tribal lands as well as the Meitei's allegations of Kuki-Zo village volunteers (termed by state media as 'Kuki militants') attacking Meitei villages.
The ITLF also strongly reiterated its po-sition that the state machinery under CM Biren is directly responsible for engineer-ing and escalation of the violence.
Biren's constant rhetoric and hate speech against the Kuki-Zo community, the wholesale tagging of Kuki-Zo community as drug peddlers, terrorists and illegal immigrants directly shadow the open declaration of proxy war of 'Chin-Kuki Narco-terrorism' by fringe Meitei groups like the COCOMI and others, it added.