COCOMI demands arrest of ITLF leaders
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 16 2024:
Demanding arrest of those involved in setting ablaze the Churachandpur district mini secretariat office along with the volunteers and leaders of Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) within seven days, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) cautioned that failure to pull up the culprits might compel people of Manipur defy rules of the land and adopt anti-India stand.
Addressing media persons at its Lamphelpat office, here, on Friday, COCOMI coordinator Somorendro Thokchom raised strong objection against alleged inaction by the state and central governments even after ITLF had declared that the Churachandpur SP must leave the district and cannot be posted in Kuki areas.
COCOMI asserted that only when the culprits involved in vandalising and torching offices of the SP and the mini secretariat on Thursday night are arrested and punitive actions initiated within seven days, the people of Manipur will have faith in the government of India.
Maintaining that the mini secretariat office was burnt down by Kuki narco-terrorists only because the chief minister had announced that the base year for implementation of NRC in the state will be 1961, the coordinator said that it is an attempt to destroy government documents so as to facilitate the narco-terrorists remain in the state for long.
As such incidents did not happened when three Kuki ZEOs were suspended by the state government, it is obvious that the violence in Churachandpur district was well orchestrated to wipe out important documents by inciting defiant and disorderly community.
He further said that the act of the para military forces deployed in the valley districts resorting to use of force while dealing with meira paibi agitators but turning away and refusing to take actions against armed Kuki militants when they (para military forces) were obstructed in Kuki-populated hill districts, has tarnished the reputation of the Indian military before the whole world and will definitely demoralise the central forces.
A written letter will be sent to the chief of Army Staff highlighting the issues in detail, he said.
Stating that it is time for the central and the state governments to take the right step as the nefarious agenda of the Kukis has been exposed, Somorendro cautioned that if anti-social activities of the Kukis continue to be tolerated by the governments, then the entire population of Manipur will suffer.
As such, the government should find means to put an end to the prevailing crisis and restore peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest, he said.