Constitutional bodies must intervene to curb fallacious moves against minorities, says CoTU

The top Kuki-Zo tribal body in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, the Committee on Tribal Unity, of the CoTU, Sadar Hills Kangpokpi call for the intervention of Constitutional bodies to prevent various communally fallacious moves against the minorities.

It stated that the Committee on Tribal Unity in its essence is a philanthropic organisation, overseeing the welfare of the displaced people.

However, on the contrary, the Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun are terror groups that should be blacklisted as unlawful associations under relevant acts as these terror groups are provided with sophisticated weapons and authorized to operate in broad daylight as parallel security forces, it added.

It also recalled that in an event on August 16, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and MP Leishemba Sanajaoba were seen blessing the Arambai Tenggol cadres.

The Committee also stated that another hate-spilling factory 'COCOMI' which is a conglomerate of all Meitei CSOs should be on the radar as this particular CSO received the support of the blacklisted terror groups by the Ministry of Home Affairs and served their interest in instilling secessionist ideology among the innocent youths to achieve their quest for restoring pre-merger agreement status for the valley, i.e Kangleipak.

"The members of this organization should be prosecuted under UAPA and Official Secrets Act for hideously designing to wage war against India", it stated.

CoTU further stated that in a recent press statement, the COCOMI quoted Minister of External Affairs of India, S. Jaishankar's statement that a large influx of immigrants led to the present crisis in Manipur, however, the Union External Affairs Minister should be alarmed that an Indian Aadhar card bearing the name of one Moirangthem Premananda, with flags and combat dresses of banned Meitei Extremist Organisations, is found in a Military Junta Camp in Tamu district of Myanmar.

It also stated that the External Affairs Minister and the Union Home Minister should also be alarmed by the repeated cross-border attacks on the Indian Army in Manipur by such unlawful Meitei groups based in Myanmar as it alleged that these secessionist groups based in Myanmar are often provided illegal entry by state actors to unleash untold sufferings amongst the Kuki-Zo people.

There are also instances of several valley-based print and electronic media that display ignorance out of eccentricity. The sensationalism of their news and events knew no media ethics. The Editors Guild of India for the sake of impartial reporting gave a slap in the face to the Meitei media for biased reporting. However, they still sleeps under the blanket of hate and prejudice reporting, the CoTU stated.

Pointing out that the editorial column of the Imphal Times dated 16th November, 2023, blatantly stated that COTU should be declared as unlawful for demanding separate administration.

However, the communally charged editor is reminded that, it is the inherent rights of every citizen of India to demand constitutional protection including separation from an oppressive-dominant community in accordance with the Constitution of India, it added.

CoTU went on to states that the latest communal FIR file against the General Secretary of ITLF is an attempt to subdue the Kuki-Zo movement by misuse of laws as such frequent misuse of the law will only worsen the existing communal tension and will further tarnish the sanctity of the law courts in Manipur.

Therefore, the Supreme Court, the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Schedule Tribes, and other Constitutional bodies must intervene to deter such fallacious moves against minorities.