The Delhi Meetei Co-ordinating Committee (DMCC) and Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), with the support of Meitei Alliance and Global Manipur Federation (GMF) on Sunday organised a protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi against the Aerial Bombing on Civilians in Manipur by Kuki Terrorists.
Protestors condemned the terror attacks by Kuki terrorists on the Meetei civilian population by using drones on September 1 at Koutruk, Imphal East and long-range rockets on Moirang Phiwangbam Leikai, Bishenpur district on September 6, stated a release by DMCC. The protestors also condemned the police action allegedly meted out towards the protesting students demanding protection from the government from kuki military aggression, it stated.
It urged to stop using the violence as a political tool to advance long-standing separatist demands by the Kukis. It mentioned the drone attacks on September 1 in which a young woman was killed and the attack on September 6 in which a senior citizen was killed.
It pointed out that the Kuki militants, armed with new and terrifying terror technology, rained destruction on the Meetei village. It led others to push the sectarian and exclusive agenda of creating a separate territory called ‘Separate Administration or Independent Kukiland’, it stated.
It further condemned the Central and state government for allegedly allowing Kuki politicians and Kuki separatist militants using the violence as a political tool to advance long-standing separatist demands instead of investigating the involvement of international actors in the Manipur violence.
It expressed discontentment that the central forces and agencies are allegedly targeting the Meeteis, the Meira Paibis and students of the state. It further denounced the portrayal of Meira Paibis-women vigilante groups and students in Manipur in a negative light.
It decried that all the Kuki protest rallies demanding for division of Manipur have been allegedly protected and safely allowed by state and central government and its security forces in kuki dominated districts, while heavy police crackdown were done against the Meeteis asking for protection of civilians from kuki terror attacks.
It noted the state government’s appeal to the Centre for the position of unified command of security forces after 15 months of violence in State, and said that the same clearly shows that the state’s Law and order affairs have been under the direct command of the Central government under the leadership of the Home Minister and the Prime Minister.
It further questioned the Centre whether the alleged failure to control the violence is a part of a larger political ploy to deepen divisions among the people to divide Manipur on ethnic lines.
It maintained that the security forces should work to de-escalate tensions when dealing with citizens in conflict zones, rather than exacerbate divisions. It urged the government to investigate reports of security agencies acting in a partisan manner and to take steps to address the growing trust deficit among the people between Kuki and Meeteis.
It further called for accountability of the Central and State Government, stressing the need to restore public trust in state institutions as a critical step towards resolving the conflict and asserted that the Government must ensure no division of Manipur on sectarian and exclusive politics and ethnic lines.
