Everybody fighting, don't know who's right: Kuki MLA
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 10 2023:
The state is witnessing an intensifying cycle of violence fuelled by escalating tensions between Meiteis and Kukis.
Shedding light on this issue, an MLA belonging to Kuki community, requesting anonymity, in an exclusive interview with Prasanna D Zore of Rediff.com, said, "Now everybody is fighting.
Don't know who is right, who is wrong".
The Kuki MLA emphasised the deepening animosity between the Meiteis ahd the Kukis, underlining the alarming levels of hatred and fear pervading within both the communities.
According to the MLA, violent incidents have surged following a spate of clashes since May 3, and it is showing no signs of abating.
The MLA delved into a specific incident involving the alleged killing of two Meetei students by Kukis.
He questioned the narrative, and said that the accusation lacked concrete evidence, such as the absence of bodies.
The MLA raised the possibility that the two missing Meitei youths may be in hiding now.
Regarding allegations of illegal immigrants from across the border in Myanmar, the MLA urged for verification by referencing the Ministry of Home Affairs' list of terrorist organisations responsible for attacks on the Indian Army.
He, however, did not mention anything about the involvement of any militant groups in the current conflict in Manipur, which shows a sign of an attempt to deflect the issue.
The MLA contested the assertion that Kuki militants from Myanmar were behind the violence, urging the media to independently investigate.
He also confided that he does not know who is right or who is wrong.
Everybody is now fighting, he said.
Expressing concern over the worsening situation, the MLA noted that both the communities are displaying an unwillingness to enter each other's territories.
He, however, refused to comment on whether he sees separate administration for the Kukis as a solution to the crisis while at the same time highlighting the urgent need on the part of Government of India to intervene and take decisive action.
The MLA called for immediate efforts to address the mounting tensions and working towards restoring peace in the region.
The current state of affairs has exacerbated the division between the Meiteis and the Kukis, making a swift resolution to the conflict seem challenging.
The situation necessitates urgent attention and intervention from the central government to mitigate the prevailing hatred and fear in the region, for fostering an environment of peace and reconciliation, the MLA said, as reported by Rediff.com.