The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) strongly condemned Manipur government’s attempt to deploy Meitei [State] security forces in tribal areas and said that it would only heighten tension and lead to more violence.
ITLF said if more security is needed, the government can readily deploy the army and central paramilitary forces.
In its press condemnation on Saturday, ITLF stated that it was an alarming development that the government of Manipur is dispatching a large contingent of state police commandos comprising entirely of Meitei personnel to Moreh with the supposed purpose of quelling recent violence that broke out in the border town, where Kuki-Zo tribals live.
It is common knowledge that state forces are openly supporting the majority community, and police commandos have taken part in attacking tribal settlements. This is why tribal women in Moreh are blocking the national highway in an effort to stop the commandos from entering Moreh town, ITLF said and added that there are also fears that cadres of the militant groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun are embedded with the police commandos.
Quoting IFP news report, ITLF mentioned that “special commando teams are being continuously airlifted to Moreh via helicopters”. Around 10 buses carrying a combined team of IRB and MR personnel led by 5th IRB Commanding Officer H Balaram also left Imphal for Moreh on Friday afternoon (IFP-28 July 2023).
“Kuki Inpi Manipur pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier assured them that police commandos would be withdrawn from Moreh. To the contrary, more personnel are being dispatched everyday,” ITLF said.
Alleging that Government’s action was nothing but an attempt by the state government to unleash terror on the population of Moreh, ITLF requested the central government to intervene immediately before more violence erupts.
