Bodies stress steps to restore peace, normalcy
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 18 2023: The six civil society organisations namely ACOAM Lup, IPAK, PANDM, Kanglamei, KIL and CLK said people suspect indirect support of the government and security forces to Kuld militants under Suspension of Operation (So0), who are intentionally targeting Meetei people in different parts of the state.

According to a joint statement of ACOAM Lup, IPAK, PANDM, Kanglamei, KIL and CLK, the unrest situation in the state aftermath of clashes between the Meetei and Kuki com-munities could had been averted or controlled had the government taken actions in time.

The organisations also said that fresh steps must be initiated to prevent aggravation of the situation and also to bring peace and normalcy in the state.

Deeply concerned over fate of the students of both hills and valley who are awaiting results of class X and class XII examinations, the six organisations emphasised as results of both the examinations would be declared soon the government must make special arrangement to ensure that the students pursue their academic goals without any disturbances.

The joint statement further said that the unfortunate communal clash between the Meetei and Kuki com-munities erupted on May 3 from Churachandpur would yield nothing other than up-rooting people of the land and it will be a loss for all the indigenous people who have lived with harmony since time immemorial.

They maintained that the main cause of the present volatile situation was lack of thorough discussion among organisers of the Tribal Sol-idarity March on May 3.It was very unfortunate that rally organisers choose the path to create communal ha-tred rather than fighting the order of the court relating to ST demand in the court itself.

However, there is still time for the rally organisers to rectify their error and it would be right to come out openly and work towards re-storing peace and normalcy, the bodies said.

If the Kukis were unhappy with acts of the government, they should have directed their ire to the government instead of venting their angst on the Meetei people, the bodies said adding that there must be some hidden agenda behind continuous targeting of Meetei people by the Kukis.

Destruction of poppy plantation under 'War on Drugs' mission, eviction of encroachers from reserved and protected forest and de-tection of illegal immigrants from Myanmar as initiated by the government were for welfare of entire communi-ties of the state but the Kukis thought the government acts otherwise and intentionally targeted the Meetei people, the joint statement said and stressed the need for all the communities to understand the brotherly relation exist-ing among indigenes since ancestral times.

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