Imphal: Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), an apex body of Kuki-Zo community, has accepted that Kuki-Zo people have engaged in Poppy Cultivation in Manipur.
“The chief minister of Manipur (N.Biren Singh) and the Meitei people have frequently referred to the Kuki-Zo people as narco-terrorists. While some people may have engaged in poppy cultivation, this does not mean that the whole community supported or took part in the practice. We consistently backed the government’s efforts to combat the state’s drug problem. It should be mentioned that other tribes in Manipur, including Meiteis, also engage in the practice of poppy farming,” the ITLF said in its ‘Open Letter’ written to Union Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday.
Meitei propagandists created the myth of the “narco-terrorist” to malign the Kuki-Zo community, it mentioned.
ITLF pressed the Uion Home minister to expedite the demand for a political solution for peace to last. It demanded a Union Territory with legislature for the Kuki-Zo community under article 239A of the Indian Constitution.
The letter said that the rising cases of high-handedness shown towards Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers in Manipur by central agencies are a matter of serious concern for the community.
A number of cases warrant condemnation, especially those that occurred in Jiribam’s Phaitol village and Mongbung village. Seven Kuki women were beaten up by central security forces, and two village boys were taken into custody. Furthermore, three Kuki village volunteers were arrested after an arson attack on the home of L. Hengjol village chief, and five Kuki women beaten up by security forces had to be rushed to Noney Hospital for treatment. Additionally, security forces set fire to the home of the general secretary of Kuki Inpi (Jiribam, Noney, and Tamenglong), ITLF alleged.
Manipur police had said that the arrest of two persons from Phaitol village was during a combined search operation following an attack to Manipur police and Manipur fire Service while trying to extinguish a fire in the said village.
Regarding the three individuals arrested in L Hengjol village, police said the three belonged to a militant outfit and was arrested based on an information from NIA and they were handed over to NIA.
The open letter alleged that the majority community are controlling state’s resources and was still carrying out its ethnic cleansing campaign against the Kuki-Zos.
The NIA is also arresting people on terror charges for simply trying to protect their community. NIA should not be used as a tool for suppression. Genuine cases can be taken up after a political solution is in place, it added.
“We have witnessed Meitei terrorists from UNLF and Arambai Tenggol crossing the so-called buffer zones to attack tribal settlements. This necessitates the deployment of armed
village volunteers to protect their homes and families, a fundamental right in every country. The recent instances of security forces arresting tribal volunteers and confiscating their weapons are not only blatantly unfair but also increases the vulnerability of Kuki-Zo villages along the foothills.”
ITLF said state police and central security forces have become mere spectators as these militants travel freely in vehicles, brandishing guns and openly calling for the genocide of the Kuki-Zo tribes.
On March 13, NIA arrested three members of Pambei led United National Liberation Front (UNLF) from Imphal West district. On Wednesday two individuals ‘belonging to Arambai Tengol’ were arrested in Imphal.
The ITLF demanded to introduce Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) immediately in Imphal valley and other valley areas if the central government is sincere about disarming everyone in the interest of peace and to retrieve all stolen weapons.
“To address the bogey of “illegal immigration,” the government should document all the people who have fled to Manipur due to the crisis in Myanmar, issue ID cards, and house the refugees in designated camps. We are tired of being repeatedly referred to as ‘illegal’ in our own land to justify the agenda of a majoritarian government and the actions of militant Meitei groups.”
The open letter mentioned that there are reports that a military camp is being constructed along the Churachandpur-Bishnupur (Torbung Bangla) border. We request authorities to relocate the camp somewhere in the middle of Bishnupur and away from Churachandpur so that no necessary tension is created.
“Military operations will not bring peace to Manipur. The nature of the conflict – the death, destruction, and radicalisation of the Meitei community – means that the Kuki-Zo community will not be able to live a safe and dignified life in Manipur even if some semblance of peace is enforced by the military,” the ITLF said in the letter.
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