CoTU, ITLF urge Governor to defer assembly session
Source: Chronicle News Service
Kangpokpi, August 28 2023:
Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills Kangpokpi, and Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) urged the Governor to defer the 4th Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly scheduled for Tuesday.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor through DC Kangpokpi on Monday, the two Kuki-Zo bodies conveyed that they will not allow the 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs to attend the assembly session or any other sessions in future whether in person or through any other means including video conferencing.
Since the violence broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur, CoTU and ITLF have been mobilising resources through crowdfunding, donations, and contributions from individuals and philanthropic organisations for the internally displaced persons, airing the grievances of the Kuki-Zo community with the sole aim of getting separated from the state, which they alleged as Meetei dominated biased administration.
Earlier, CoTU and ITLF had opposed assembly session at this moment citing inhibitive situation and terming an assembly session at the moment as devoid of logic and rationality.
CoTU general secretary Lamminlun Singsit criticised the state government of not taking up any actions against perpe trators of violent incidents in the valley area against Kuki-Zo people on the wake of the May 3 incident in Churachandpur.
Stating that there is absolute anarchy in the state, he maintained that convening assembly session instead of controlling the cycle of violence is unacceptable.
Holding the assembly session despite knowing that the Kuki-Zo representatives will not be able to attend exposes the ulterior motive of the dominant community, he said while urging the Governor to defer the assembly session until normalcy returns and people of Kuki-Zo community feel absolutely safe (in returning to Imphal).
They, however, said that Kuki-Zo people will never feel safe to return to Imphal.
He also warned that the state government shall be held responsible for any unwanted consequences arising out of holding the assembly session.
The two bodies also urged the Governor to declare all the valley districts as disturbed area and re-impose AFSPA while citing looting of arms from police armoury in the valley area and alleging the government of doing nothing against it.
They also demanded the government to check burning of houses belonging to Kuki-Zo community in Imphal.
They also recalled the assault on MLA Vungzagin Valte on May 4 and said that the state government has failed to ease the fears and rebuild the confidence of Kuki-Zo community.
They also alleged of unabated attack on Kuki-Zo villages in the peripheral areas and polarisation of state security forces as well as alleged circulation of fabricated news by local TV news channel and "self-style propagandists like Professor Bimol & Pramot" targeting Kuki-Zo community.
The bodies also urged the Governor to ban CSOs like COCOMI, Federation of Haomee, UCM, AMSU, and AMUCO which they claim as frontal organisations of UG groups, and also to dissuade Meira Paibis from their roles in the crisis.