Womenfolk raise uproar over 'withdrawal order'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 27 2023:
Womenfolk of Singda, Kadangband and surrounding villages raised an uproar today against the Home Department's order to reduce the strength of Manipur Rifles personnel deployed in the area by half.
Notably, Singda, Kadangband Part-I and adjoining Koutruk have been repeatedly targeted by Kuki militants since the eruption of the violent crisis.
On learning that the Home Department issued an order yesterday to withdraw 33 personnel of 7th Manipur Rifles from Singda, Kadangband and Koutruk areas, a large number of people, mostly womenfolk came out to streets at Singda, Kadangband, Koutruk, Lairen Sajik and other adjoining villages, and staged a protest demonstration today.
At around noon, a convoy of Manipur Rifles led by a Deputy Commandant of 7th MR came to the area purportedly to take away some personnel from the area.
However, on seeing the Deputy Commandant's convoy, the womenfolk blocked roads and protested the Home Department's order.
Similar protest demonstrations were staged on different roads of Sekmai Assembly segment and Lamsang Assembly segment.
As a result, the MR convoy could not proceed any further beyond Lairen Sajik.
There they had a brief stand-off with the womenfolk before turning back.
The womenfolk demanded immediate cancellation of the Home Department's order.
Singda-Kadangband Part-I Gram Panchayat ex-Pradhan N Bobby said that 63 personnel of 7th MR have been protecting the Meitei villages from Kuki militants after setting up temporary camps at Singda, Kadangband and Koutruk.
These Meitei villages would have been already reduced to ashes had the MR personnel been not deployed in the area, Bobby said.
Despite the presence of the MR personnel, Kuki militants repeatedly launched attacks from nearby areas, inflicting casualties to Meitei civilians, he said.
At several instances, reinforcements in the form of Imphal West commandos were sought when the MR personnel could not face the Kuki militants, Bobby said.
The State Home Department's order to withdraw MR personnel from the area at a time when the villagers are living under a highly insecure atmosphere is akin to pushing all the Meitei civilians to the jaws of death, he said.
Given the existing condition, the people of Lamsang AC and Sekmai AC would never agree to the Home Department's order, he asserted.