None should challenge Manipur's territorial integrity: Th Brinda
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 27 2023: The territory of Manipur has been recognised and notified in the gazette by the Government of India.

The land was built on the foundations of love and cooperation between its various communities over 2000 years ago.

As such, no one should challenge the integrity of Manipur in any form what -soever, asserted social activist Thounaojam Brinda.

Addressing a press meet at her Yaiskul Janmasthan residence on Tuesday, Brinda urged the central government not to take sides in the prevailing violence, but instead uphold the people's faith and try to restore peace in Manipur as soon as possible.

She said that if Manipur is to be saved, there is a need to review the SoO policy.

The implementation method of SoO should be deliberated at any public forum in addition to checking the designated camps of Kuki militants under SoO, the weapons surrendered to the government, control of the satellite militant groups formed by SoO militants and baring of all SoO related documents, she added.

Brinda then said that as innocent civilians and the state have been affected, the SoO playbook needs to be made known including putting the SoO related documents in public domain as per the law.

NRC should first be implemented in Mizoram and Nagaland, and once their NRC is in hand, the borders should be sealed and NRC implemented in Manipur.

The MLR&LR Act should be extended to the entirety of Manipur and a new law to allow indigenous and natives to settle in any part of Manipur should be formulated.

Additionally, the central and state governments should do all they can to help the displaced people of both the hill and valley return to their original places, she elaborated.

Brinda continued: "Being a Manipuri, I want to ask my Kuki brethren lay out point-by -point the fault of the Meitei since they (Kuki) claim they can no longer tolerate the Meitei.

The Meitei, just like you, have been suffering under the consecutive 'bad' governments for 70 years.

Presently, over 50 percent of the Meitei population has been directly affected by the on going violence, while around 80 percent of those killed in fake encounters were also Meitei.

The Meitei are far more impoverished than you.

As such, what is the fault of the Meitei in all of these? Would it not be best for all of us to work together and identify the real enemy instead of fighting amongst ourselves on the grounds of who is Meitei or who is tribal?" .

Recounting that her first opposition to the government in 2020 was related to drugs, she cautioned that the most dangerous terrorism in the world is narco-terrorism and Manipur has been affected, which she conveyed to the national media at the time.

However, no attention was paid on the issue and thus, the situation has escalated to what is being witnessed presently, she remarked.

The present violence in Manipur is being orchestrated by drug cartels cunningly.

The state assembly is also part of the drug cartels, which are able to buy the government and its institutes, and anyone one they deem easy.

It is quite possible that the drug cartels may have bought off the parliament.

The government cannot deny having no knowledge of poppy plantation.

The militants planting the poppy and government are linked, with most of those involved in the drug trade often found to be MLAs, politicians, the wealthy groups in every community, militants, poor farmers and small businesses, Brinda alleged.

Regarding SoO, she said that the agreement between the Kuki militants and the government is of the former surrendering their weapons and returning to mainstream society.

There is no provision of permitting illegal drug trade, tax collection, planting poppies and human trafficking in the ground rule of the agreement.

The government cannot deny having no idea of Kuki militants violating the rules.

The money earned by outsiders after arriving and settling in Manipur is mostly from drug trafficking and the protection is being provided by the Kuki militants.

All of them are working together to disintegrate and destroy Manipur, she asserted.

Brinda then urged the MLAs stationed in Delhi to make the real agenda of their visit known to the people.

Meanwhile, the Meitei have been speaking about receiving no support from Assam Rifles and the army.

However, we must not blame the security forces for they are only following the commands from the higher-ups.

The central forces cannot fire at the militants as they are under SoO.

Thus, the AR and the army are not at fault but the government is the one to be blamed.

It is extremely baffling why the government has not given the much-needed order to the forces to handle the situation till date, she said.

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