Poser raised over 'keenness' of SFs in evacuation
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 09 2024: Federation of Hao-mee (FoH) has questioned whether security forces' thrust on evacuation of villagers from Jiribam villages were to aid unrestrained burning of their homes by Kuki militants.

In a release, FoH general secretary Athoi Kamei claimed that on June 6 when Jiribam district magistrate (DM) imposed curfew after the murder of Soibam Sarat (58) of Jiribam Gularthon, Kuki militants fired several rounds towards Meetei villages around 6 pm the same evening.

On June 7, security forces, entrusted to protect the residents after Meetei villages were set on fire in the morning, rounded up and relocated the villagers which led to acts of arson on Meetei houses, it claimed and rued that the Jiribam DM's order had no bearing on the security forces.

It further posed as to how amid the curfew, armed Kukis torched Meetei villages as the security forces accorded more importance to evacuating the villagers rather than maintaining top vigil to protect the villagers before the arson spread.

FoH also demanded that the state government conduct enquiry on the DM concerned and security forces regarding the avoidable Jiribam incident while sharing the grief and grievances of the indigenous people of Jiribam affected by the conflict caused by outsiders.

The further stressed that there should be no talk about peace by any individual or organisation till there is effective solution.

Meanwhile, expressing deep concern over the attitude of the central forces during the recent incident in Jiribam, RPI (A) national general secretary Maheshwar Thounaojam questioned whether the brave Indian soldiers are only meant for evacuating Meetei people of Jiribam when they are attacked and their houses are torched by armed Kuki militants, rather than responding to the armed Kuki attacks.

Addressing media persons at the RPI (A) office in New Delhi on Saturday, Maheshwar Thounaojam stated that during the year-long crisis in Manipur, the central forces have never retaliated against the armed miscreants.

Instead, they have only engaged in evacuating the innocent public, as if their sole responsibility is evacuation and not to counterattack the armed miscreants who are attacking people and burning down houses.

Comparing the present situation in Manipur to that of Kashmir, where Kashmiri Pandits were evacuated by the armed forces to carve out a new union territory, Maheshwar stated that it is the duty of the present government to ensure that no similar incident occurs again, while adding that the government should restrict central security forces from evacuating innocent people from their villages and instead work towards a permanent solution to the crisis.

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