Social activist Jaya Khangambam on Saturday questioned the purpose of deploying central forces in the Kumbi area, stating that mistrust against the Central forces have peaked following the Haotak incident where four villagers were killed by suspected Kuki militants.
Speaking to the media at Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul, Imphal, she said that the Central government had deployed thousands of central forces at various parts of Manipur after the May 3 incident of last year.
“Why is the Central government deploying central forces in Kumbi Haotak instead of deploying them in vulnerable areas?” she questioned.
The incident where four villagers were killed by suspected Kuki militants did not occur in Kuki village but in Haotak which is a Meitei inhabited area. She said that it was not the first time that villagers of Haotak area went to Haotak Phailen hill range to collect firewood. The villagers, trusting the central forces deployed in the area, went to collect firewood in the hill range. But the four villagers were killed within a short distance from where the bunkers of central forces were constructed, she added.
She appealed to the Central government to remove central forces within three days, stating that “there is no need to get assistance from central forces, people of Manipur are ready to guard the territorial boundary of Manipur.”
She further appealed to all the indigenous people of Manipur to work under one voice to protect the territorial boundary of Manipur.
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