In a heartening incident which could hopefully encourage both the warring communities in Manipur to shun violence and embrace a peaceful path, Kuki volunteers released five Meitei alive without any harm to send a message to end the violence in the state.
According to the Kuki volunteers at Gwaltabi under Saikul Police Station in Saikul Sub Division in Kangpokpi district apprehended five Meitei individuals who were mechanic by profession with a few of them linked with the Arambai Tenggol yesterday June 1 afternoon at around 2:00 pm.
The five Meitei individuals from different places in Imphal came to the red zone/sensitive zone at Gwaltabi Kuki village to spy on us but we have managed to apprehend them, said the volunteers.
The volunteers continued that we have interrogated them thoroughly and many sensational information have been revealed by them which we have video recorded.
According to their revelation, the mastermind of the present Manipur's wide-scale violent crisis is Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, and many of the Meitei communities are also against this violence.
He [N. Biren Singh] is a failed Chief Minister and he has also already lost in the war, the volunteers said quoting the five Meitei individuals as saying.
The Kuki volunteers, then said, despite unearthing many sensational information and knowing the fact that some of them have a close link with the Meitei radical group, the Arambai Tenggol, we have decided to release them safe and sound, solely with an objective to send a strong message to the Meitei brethren to end their never-ending violent upon the Kukis.
We have an ethic even during war time that no women, children, aged persons and those captured alive during war time shall not be assaulted or killed, which we respectfully followed, said the volunteers.
The Kuki volunteers further said that even if they continued to attack us we bless the five individuals and handed over to the Jat Regiment deployed in the area to be handed over to their respective family at around 8:00 pm the same evening.
The volunteers said that despite knowing them that they are also part of the rioters we have released them in want of ending the violence and peace.
"For the sake of peace and ending the violence we have handed them to the Indian Army", said the volunteers.
"We the Kukis are a peace loving community and we hope that our humanitarian and goodwill gesture will send a strong message to our Meitei brethren to end their unceasing violence upon us", further said that volunteers.
One among the five individuals also expressed gratitude to the Kuki volunteers in particular and the Kuki community as a whole for their kindheartedness and goodwill gesture while urging the Meitei community to imitate the peaceful mindset of the Kukis and end the violence.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128