CoTU negates, protests alleged attack
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, October 06 2023:
Hundreds of people across Kangpokpi came out along National Highway-2 today to protest the alleged attack at New Keithelmanbi and torching of houses at L Jangnomphai village allegedly by armed Meitei militants.
The protest rally held under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District along the NH-2 at Bongmol village appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit them at least for five minutes purely on humanitarian grounds, keeping aside politics.
The protest rally also vehemently negated and condemned the narrative that the Kuki militants attacked them and created violence in New Keithelmanbi areas.
CoTU general secretary Lamminlun Singsit said that on October 4 evening at around 10.30 pm, the armed Meitei groups disguised in security uniforms set ablaze their own Meitei farmhouses at Moidangpok to give an impression that it was done by the Kukis and later indiscriminately attacked New Keithelmanbi areas in the buffer zone which was resisted by the Central forces who manned the vulnerable areas.
He continued that a violent confrontation occurred between the Gorkha Regiment and the Meitei armed groups, but, instead of retreating, the Meitei armed groups took refuge in the border area during the night and renewed their attack in the wee hours of the next day on October 5 .
Singsit alleged that the fresh firefight was between the Meitei armed groups and the Central security forces who resisted the attack and it was not between the Kuki village volunteers and the Meitei armed groups as narrated by the Meitei community.
He also said that at least five houses belonging to the Kuki-Zo community including a residence belonging to one Kuki-Zo AR personnel at New Keithelmanbi and another four houses at L Jangnomphai village, near New Keithelmanbi were burnt during the violent incident.