The entire Churachandpur district has been intentionally or accidentally plunged into darkness suspiciously by members of the majority community. Over the past 24 hours, the populace of Churachandpur district has been without electricity, and there has been no official communication from the relevant department regarding the outage duration.
According to information circulating on social media platforms, a problem, possibly a malfunctioning disc, occurred in the 132 KV line connecting the Meitei-dominated locality of Ningthoukhong to the Kuki-Zo district of Churachandpur, near the Meitei village of Phubala, situated in the buffer zone between the two conflicting communities.
Reports suggest that a team from the Manipur State Power Corporation Limited (MSPCL) in Imphal was denied entry by Border Security Forces and State forces today. The restoration of the power line is contingent on adequate security clearance. If these reports hold true, it raises serious questions about the role of security forces and the negligence of the concerned department, subjecting the entire Churachandpur district to immense hardship and potential human rights violations.
This blackout of Churachandpur residents is not an isolated incident since the outbreak of violence on May 3. Numerous instances of power supply disruptions had been reported in the past too. The ill-treatment of the Kuki-Zo community by the majority government continues unabated and in this current situation, the deliberate disruption of power cannot be ruled out, potentially orchestrated by the communal state government in collaboration with the power corporation.
As a consequence of the complete power outage, mobile network towers in Churachandpur district are severely impacted, leading to network problems and the disruption of information flow. Such inhuman treatment of the Kukis, by denying basic electricity, is totally against all norms of the civilised conduct.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
