Reports of Central forces allegedly aiding Kuki militants and even plotting to instigate untoward incidents have been flooding in ever since their deployment to several sensitive areas in Manipur.
In yet another incident, villages of Phougakchao Ikhai Makha Mamang leikai, Phougakchao Ikhai Turel Mapal and Torbung Awang Leikai under Kumbi Assembly constituency in Bishnupur district were reportedly torched by Kuki militants while the Central forces stationed in the area allegedly stood as mute spectators on Friday.
According to a report, as many as 20 houses were burned down in the whole incident.
As per the villagers, the Central forces did not even allow state forces to enter the area while letting the militants torch the villages freely. They also reported that the militants used drones to scope out villages and plan their attacks.
“We want the Central forces to be removed; instead of helping the unarmed villagers the army personnel aided the militant’s arson to the village,” said one Huirem Bhakta singh, a resident of Torbung Awang Leikai.
Speaking to the media during a visit on Saturday, Bhakta informed that the militants came into the village from the Imphal-Churachandpur main road around 11 pm and started torching houses on the periphery of the village.
“The army personnel in the area did nothing to stop them. They just stood guard for the militants and even stopped a few villagers from escaping the village,” he said.
He further alleged that BSF personnel stationed near the village also did nothing to save the village. Instead, they just stopped the state forces from coming into the village, he added.
The state force personnel stationed at the village also corroborated with the villagers account of the whole incident.
As the conversation with the media was taking place, Bhakta and his family along with many other villagers were packing their belongings and moving out their household items to shift to a safer location.
Meanwhile, one Tongbram Bembem of Phougakchao Ikhai Awang Leikai said that the militants looted her house before it was torched. They did so while the Assam Rifles personnel stood guard, she added.
“I was there when the whole incident unfolded and when I enquired why they did not intervene, they replied that the house did not fall within their security line,” she said.
Bembem expressed suspicion that the Central forces were aiding the militants in expanding their territory into the valley.
Meanwhile, one Jaya Khangembam, a resident of Kumbi demanded authorities to remove the Central forces and send in state forces to guard the people.
She lamented the biased security protocols of the paramilitary and other Central forces in protecting the people and questioned if the Central troops were there to wipe out the Meiteis residing in the foothills near Churachandpur district.
“They are against us but we cannot just stand by when our brethren are killed and their villages burnt; however, if we take up any agitation the Central forces do not hesitate to open fire on the Meitei community,” she said.
She stated that the Kuki militants are attacking innocent civilians and torching the villages every other day. The authorities should not suppress the raging issue and say peace is prevailing to appease their masters, she added.
“Countless Meiteis are being killed and villages are being ransacked and looted in broad daylight but the narrative on national media says otherwise,” Bembem said.
She expressed disappointment over the alleged step motherly treatment of the Central forces and urged authorities concerned to remove the central forces and exchange them with state forces.
On Friday, Chief Minister N Biren announced that Central forces had been deployed in over 35 sensitive foothill villages but fear of villagers has raised the pertinent question of whether such reported incidents of biassed security measures will continue to take place.
Militants burn houses at Bishnupur
Cadres of suspected Kuki militants burned and destroyed houses and structures at various villages in the Bishnupur district allegedly by taking advantage of the absence of state forces around 1.30 pm on Saturday.
According to sources, cadres of Kuki militants arrived at the villages of Tronglaobi Maning Leikai, Gelmol, Oksongbung and Uyung Makhong in Bishnupur district and burned houses and structures.
The burned structures included the Kids Centre of former MLA P Sarat and a farmhouse of a former SP Custom, it stated.
The Kuki militants ran away as soon as the state force arrived after receiving information about the incident, it mentioned.
Following the incident, a shootout occurred between the state police and the Kuki militants at Phoujakhai Awang Leikai, Tronglaobi Maning and Kangvai region, it stated. No casualties were reported from the state force at the time of filing this report, it added.
