IT News
Imphal, June 29:
The World Meetei Council has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate and effective action to end the prolonged crisis in Manipur.
The memorandum referenced a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 17, in which he expressed plans to engage with both Meetei and Kuki communities to bridge the ethnic divide. This statement came over a year after violence initiated by migrant Chin-Kuki terrorists on May 3, 2023.
The Council criticized Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, suggesting that his actions and statements have often been more aligned with Meetei interests rather than those of the entire state, exacerbating the situation. The continued violence has severely deteriorated Manipur’s condition, despite the presence of over fifty thousand central security forces, including the Army, Assam Rifles, and other paramilitary units, along with state armed police.
The Council highlighted that violence-prone zones have been identified, yet the central security forces remain ineffective. This ineffectiveness is attributed to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) arrangement between the Government of India, the Manipur government, and the armed migrant Chin-Kukis. Although this arrangement officially lapsed in February 2024, it appears to still be in effect, limiting the central forces’ actions to mere spectatorship.
The memorandum described the current state of Manipur as lawless, comparing it unfavorably to the Middle East, where conflicting communities at least see each other.
It criticized Home Minister Amit Shah’s address to Parliament on August 9, 2023, for failing to explain why the Army, Assam Rifles, and other forces had been passive. The Council suggested that if these forces had been active from the beginning, the violence could have been controlled, and Manipur would not be in its current state of turmoil.
The World Meetei Council expressed belief in the Prime Minister’s leadership and urged him to take decisive action to stop the violence, which they believe will pave the way for improvement in Manipur.
