Babloo, Brinda barred from speaking in public platform
Meitei Leepun traces genesis of clash at CCpur
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 05 2023:
The Meitei Leepun has boycotted former Additional SP of Manipur Police Thounaojam Brinda and human rights activist Babloo Loitongbam from giving public speeches until the Manipur conflict gets resolved.
Speaking to the media at Manipur Press Club today, Lanjanghanjaba of Meitei Leepun Heisnam Shilan said that Th Brinda accusing Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun of instigating the violence in Manipur is unacceptable.
Saying that the situation was tense at Churachandpur even before the May 3 incident, he recalled that Open Gym set to be inaugurated by Chief Minister N Biren Singh was destroyed by a Kuki mob on April 27 while a shrine of a Meitei deity at the residence of Wahengbam Oken at Thingkangphai in Churachandpur was desecrated and a salai taret flag torn by Kukis on April 29 .
Shilan further said that Kuki torched a forest office and assaulted a Meitei truck driver at Churachandpur on May 3, the day in which the tribal solidarity march of the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM) was staged.
Saying that there are many other cases of Kukis attacking Meeteis in Churachandpur ahead of the ongoing violence, the leader of Meitei Leepun said that the Meeteis were blamed for setting the 'Kuki War Memorial Gate' on fire too without any evidence.
Many Kukis in Imphal took mass casual leave from Government departments ahead of May 3 while many Kuki students and their people in other professions had vacated their residences in the valley districts even before the violence broke out, he said and claimed that the ongoing violence in Manipur was pre-planned.
Saying that the violent campaign of Kukis against the Meeteis intensified on May 3, Shilan asked why Th Brinda depicted Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun in the wrong light even after knowing the sequence in which the violence in Manipur took form.
The comment of Th Brinda is unacceptable, he said referring to the charges levelled against the two Meitei organisations by the former police officer.
Continuing that a sea of Kuki miscreants including people wielding automatic weapons from Churachandpur marched up to Torbung Bangla and attacked Meetei settlement areas, Shilan asserted that it was the Kukis who started the violence by burning houses belonging to Meetei families at Torbung, Moreh and other foothill areas.
Claiming that human rights activist Babloo Loitongbam had also accused Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun of instigating the violence in Manipur earlier in a Youtube channel, Shilan said that they have decided to bar Brinda and Babloo from making public speeches until the violence in Manipur is resolved.
He said that they will not take responsibility for any unwanted incidents if Th Brinda and Babloo Loitongbam violate the boycott.
Stating that the violence in Manipur was orchestrated by a section of Kukis to show their opposition against the Government crackdown on deforestation and poppy plantations, he asked why the Kuki people attacked Meeiteis in the first place as the problem is between the Government and them (Kukis) .
The Kukis are still devising new tactics to topple the Government to carry out poppy plantations freely and to prevent implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, he said and added that Meetei Leepun will do whatever it can to protect the State Government as protection of the Government is necessary to safeguard Manipur.
Shilan said that Meetei Leepun will protect the Government even if the Congress party were in power.
Replacing the Chief Minister at this crucial time will also have serious implications on the Meeteis amid the violent confrontation with Kukis, the Meitei Leepun leader said and added that imposing President's Rule in Manipur will also be a major setback to the people.
Shilan added that Manipur was an independent kingdom before the merger with India so the demand of separate administration will never yield fruits.
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