Clear case of separate administration : AMUCO
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 26 2023: Reacting sharply to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assurance that he would take charge of the prevailing situation in the hill districts while Chief Minister N Biren would handle the situation in the valley districts, the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) has asserted that the Union Home Minister's arrangement is a clear testimony of setting up two or more separate administrations in Manipur, albeit tacitly.

Expressing strong reservation against certain statements made by the Union Home Minister on several occasions with regard to the prevailing crisis, AMUCO decried that the Government of India has been playing communal politics and divisive game all along while conveniently overlooking the real causes of the present crisis.

Even today, the Government of India, through speech and action, has been advocating their divisive game instead of working out a reasonable and amicable solution.

The violent crisis escalated to the present devastating stage because of the support extended by the Government of India to the Kuki militants.

Amit Shah's statements and actions have made it clear that he has no intention to resolve the crisis any time soon, AMUCO said.

For a very long time, the Government of India was acting as a silent spectator to all kinds of extreme violence and mayhem unleashed by Kuki militants in blatant violation of the SoO ground rules.

The Government of India was acting mute and blind to the unprovoked aggression launched by Kuki militants from Myanmar who are not party to the SoO pact, according to a statement issued by AMUCO.

Now, the Government of India has been trying to portray the crisis as Kuki-Meitei conflict, it said.

In order to resolve the present crisis and bring durable peace in Manipur, the Government of India must first answer why the Kuki militants under SoO were allowed to violate the SoO ground rules blatantly, how and why Kuki militants from Myanmar were allowed to infiltrate into Manipur (India) without any hurdle and why Kuki militants are allowed to attack Meitei people and other communities continuously in the vicinity of security camps.

The Government of India must first address these issues/questions before embarking on any forceful journey to suppress the people's movement which is aimed at safeguarding the administrative and territorial integrity of Manipur, AMUCO asserted.

To resolve the present crisis based on facts and truth is the collective wish of the people of Manipur, it said.

Questioning Amit Shah's intention to appease Kuki militants in the hill districts, the AMUCO remarked that the Union Home Minister seemed to be unaware of the responsibilities his position entails as indicated by his statement to handle the situation in the hill districts separately instead of tackling the issue in a holistic manner.

Amit Shah's assertion that he would take care of the situation in the hill districts is a manifestation of communal politics and divisive game, AMUCO averred.

Pointing out that law and order is the responsibility of the State Government, AMUCO questioned as to why Amit Shah should personally take the responsibility of appeasing Kuki militants.

Had the State Government been allowed to take up all necessary actions against the Kuki militants as per law and the Government of India assisted the State Government wherever necessary, it would have served as a perfect testimony of India's federal structure, it said.

While entrusting the task of pacifying the people in the valley districts to the CM, the Union Home Minister has made it clear that he would handle the situation in the hill districts.

It is a clear case of two or more separate administrations within Manipur.

This arrangement is unacceptable to the people of Manipur under any circumstances, AMUCO asserted.

It then asked how the Government of India will feel if the people of Manipur start acting and thinking as if the Government of India's administration does not cover the State.

Before taking up any other measures, the Government of India must take up befitting action against Kuki militants for violating SoO ground rules as well as against those Kuki militants and Kuki people who infiltrated/immigrated to Manipur (India) from Myanmar, it said.

Any peace superimposed through military might is negative peace and it would not be durable.

What the people of Manipur yearn for is positive peace, not negative peace, it said.

At the same time, the Government of India must spell out if it has taken up any action to stop Kuki militants from killing innocent civilians, poppy cultivation and encroachment into Reserved Forests.

The present crisis has its roots in the State Government's attempt to check poppy cultivation and encroachment into Reserved Forests, AMUCO added.

Meanwhile, public meetings were held at different places under the banner 'No separate administration in Manipur' .

AMUCO president Ph Nando Luwang, ex-president Ito Tongbram, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur president L Memchoubi, COHR chairman Phulindro Konsam, AMAWOVA president Y Kunjarani, AMAWOVA advisor Ch Usharani and YOFFS secretary general Kh Ramananda were the main speakers of the public meetings held at Liwa Lambi Bokul Makhong and Heirangoithong.

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