Bodies demand probe into communal riots
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 11 2023: Expressing grave concern over intensity of the violent clash that un-folded in the state, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apun-ba Manipur and All Mani-pur Women's Voluntary Association (AMAWOVA) said that the government should constitute an enqui-ry commission to find the root cause of the violence.

Addressing a press meet at the office of Poirei Leima-rol at Khoyathong here on Thursday, president Long-jam Memchoubi said that it was unfortunate how the solidarity march of May 3 led to violent clashes re-sulting in loss of lives and properties.

Considering the volatile situation, the gov-ernment could have stopped the rally or controlled the situation before it turned violent.

The rally was a flashpoint where unresolved issues flared up and it was the fault of the government as it failed to control the situation.

Following the situation, Centre has taken control of the internal security of the state.

However, there are still incidents of gun violence in foothill areas resulting in death and injury of many.

In such situation, the women community could not remain silent any longer, she said.

She further said that the government should bring CSO leaders of both hills and valley to the negotiat-ing table and find out the root cause of the violence.

Leaders of all communi-ties should sit together and work towards amending mistakes and restore peace and normalcy, the president said.

She further advised the government to initiate measures for resettlement of the displaced people while adding that the issue of ST demand needs joint sittings to bring an understand-ing among the dissenting groups.

Chipping in AMAWOVA president Yumkhaibam Kunjarani asked the gov-ernment to ensure that the cadres of Kuki underground groups under Suspension of Operation (SoO) remain in their designated camps.

The May 3 rally followed by the violence is a clear example of tension among the different communities.

By studying past incidents, all such rallies are allowed to carry out under tight se-curity measures.

However, there was clear sign of se-curity lapses with regard to the May 3 rally as adequate police personnel were not deployed to control any mob action, she said and demanded the government to rebuild the burned houses and recover arms and am-munition either snatched or robbed in both valley and hills in order to restore peace and normalcy.

Meanwhile, Interna-tional Meeteis' Forum (IMF) stressed that to avoid communal violence in the future, a high level enqui-ry committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge should be constituted to in-vestigate into the root cause of the clash.

In a release, IMF secretary general Th Rolivin expressed suspicion about vested in-terest section taking ad-vantage of the communal flare up and also condemned violent activities against the Meetei community by the Kuki militant groups which are under Suspen-sion of Operation with the government (SoO).

IMF alleged that armed cadres were among the AT-SUM Tribal Solidarity March participants on May 3 at Churachandpur town and started vandalising Meetei villages, torching houses and killing innocents with similar brutal acts carried out in Moreh town of Teng-noupal district and Motbung and Kanglatongbi in Kang-pokpi district.

IMF also stressed that the government should control these communally motivated gun-toting Kuki SoO groups, confine them in their designated camps and initiate punitive action in case of violation of SoO ground rules.

The Forum also con-tended police comman-dos were withdrawn from Churachandpur district three-four days ahead of the incident and claimed to reports about unprece-dented supply of petrol and lubricants (POL) of 10,000 plus kilolitres from oil de-pots purportedly for use in burning Meetei villages and houses.

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