Is Manipur not a part of India? Former CM Ibobi Singh questions

IMPHAL: Former Manipur chief minister and Congress veteran, Okram Ibobi Singh has questioned the ‘inaction’ by the state government and the Centre in regards to the ongoing ethnic violence in the Northeast state.

“Is Manipur not a part of India?” the former Manipur chief minister questioned.

He further asked: “Why no action has been taken up even though New Delhi many times stated external forces are behind the violence in Manipur.”

The former Manipur chief minister made this statement after a team of Congress leaders visited the residence of Moreh sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ch Anand Kumar, who was killed in a sniper attack by armed miscreants in Moreh town recently.

Also read: Centre, Manipur government chalking out plans for early restoration of peace in state: Governor

It may be mentioned here that Manipur has been on the boil since May 03, after ethnic violence broke out between the Kuki and Meitei communities in the state.

Over 180 people have been killed thus far in the six-month-long violence in the state, with thousands of other displaced.

Manipur crisis: 10 Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs accuse state police of molesting women, assaulting civilians'

All the 10 tribal MLAs in Manipur, belonging to the Kuki-Zo-Hmar community in the state, have accused the state’s police personnel of molesting tribal women and assaulting civilians.

This accusation from the 10 tribal MLAs in Manipur followed the operation launched by the state police to arrest the culprits behind the killing of Moreh sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Chingtham Anand.

SDPO of Moreh in Manipur Chingtham Anand was shot dead by a sniper of a suspected newly formed Kuki militant group.

In a statement, the 10 Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs highlight the “unprofessional conduct and inhumane excesses” of the Manipur police.

The MLAs accused the Manipur police commandos of “inhumane excesses” against Kuki-Zomi-Hmar civilians at Moreh in Tengnoupal district of Manipur.

They accused the Manipur police commandos of destroying houses, properties and vehicles of the residents of the Sinam Kuki village in Tengnoupal district.

Also read: Newly formed group suspected to be behind sniper attack that killed Manipur police officer

“In the operations that are underway at Moreh, the state forces resorted to arson, indiscriminate firing, looting of civilian properties, vehicles, household items, including valuable ornaments/documents/gold/cash and unprovoked brutality forcing common people, including women and children to flee into the nearby jungle,” the statement said.

It added: “Several women have been mercilessly assaulted/molested by the commandos and admitted in the local hospital.”

“The lack of faith that our people have in the state forces stemmed from the innumerable instances of their direct involvement in attacking Kuki-Zomi-Hmar villages during the current conflict,” they said.

“We appeal to the MHA [Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India], to intervene into the matter at once and ensure withdrawal of all the commandos deployed in Moreh and other Kuki-Zomi-Hmar tribal areas and replace them with neutral central forces,” the MLAs said.

“Further, we demand that all erring state police/commando personnel should be booked as per law.”