The Zomi Chiefs’ Association (ZCA) has strongly condemned the Manipur government for its arbitrary use of state machinery to curb freedom of speech and expression.
The recent actions taken by the government against the Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF), including the banning of their book “The Inevitable Split-Documents on State sponsored ethnic cleansing in Manipur, 2023” and the initiation of legal proceedings against the author and organisation, are deeply concerning, the association said in a release.
The association further stated that the Commissioner (Home), Government of Manipur, issued a letter on the July 8, 2023, urging the Director General of Police, Manipur, to take stern actions against the individuals associated with the ZSF and to ban the further publication of their book. This letter also requested the submission of a detailed proposal to forfeit the book and issue necessary search warrants against it under Sec 95 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, in the interest of the public, the ZCA said.
The ZCA acknowledges and greatly appreciates the efforts undertaken by the ZSF in publishing the book, which sheds light on the state-sponsored ethnic cleansing in Manipur, the association said. “We firmly believe in the importance of freedom of speech and expression as fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution of India. The high-handedness displayed by the Manipur government poses a major threat to these fundamental rights and undermines the democratic values of our nation,” it added.
Today, suppression and silencing of anyone who protests the horrors committed against the tribals has become routine practice for the Government of Manipur, the ZCA said. Based on complaints from people claiming to be social workers, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East, issued notices to Professor Kham Khan Suan Hangsing, Head of Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad, Pu Wilson L Hangsing, co-founder of Kuki People’s Alliance, and Pi Mary Grace Zou, Convenor, Kuki Women’s Forum, it added.
The accusations, which fall under several parts of the Indian Penal Code, are plainly an attempt to suppress tribal leaders who advocate on behalf of their people, the ZCA said.
