The Kuki Inpi and Kuki Students Organisation General Headquarters in collaboration with Delhi & NCR today held a press conference at Constitution Club of India, New Delhi to address the recent audio leak of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
The Kuki leaders stated that the ongoing crisis in Manipur region is a premeditated state-sponsored effort to target and eliminate the Kuki-Zo community. The ethnic cleansing campaign orchestrated and perpetrated by the N. Biren Singh-led BJP government in Manipur has led to the displacement of over 41,000 people, the destruction of more than 200 Kuki-Zo villages, and the loss of 191 lives, including cases of brutal rape and murder of women, and the immolation and mutilation of Kuki-Zo victims including children.
The leaked audio of N. Biren Singh is irrefutable evidence that explains the whole gamut of the Manipur crisis-the role of the Chief Minister and the illegitimate exercise of state government institutions and mechanisms to perpetrate the ethnic cleansing campaign against the Kuki Zo people, said one of the Kuki leaders who attended the press conference.
According to them, the audio tape further reveals that over 6,000 arms and more than 500,000 rounds of ammunition were looted from the State armouries and given away to valley-based insurgent groups (VBIGs) and Meitei extremist (Arambai Tenggol), and the protection of anti-terror activities within the valley from legal scrutiny is under the direction of N. Biren Singh and the Manipur state government.
The revelation of the complicity of the Manipur state government in the ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign demands a resolute and decisive response from the Government of India. The revelation corroborates the long-standing systemic discrimination and oppression of the minority Kuki-Zo people by the majority of the Meitei-led Manipur state government. It is evident from the leaked recording that there are systemic concerns that need urgent attention and resolution.
In light of these facts; the Kuki leaders said it was the ultimate resolve of their people that the only justice for the immeasurable harm and destruction inflicted upon their community is a Separate Administration a Union Territory with Legislature. The Kuki- Zo people are determined in the pursuit of Justice and will not compromise the collective aspirations of their people for legitimate autonomy under the ambit of the constitution of India, they added.
"It is our most earnest appeal to the Government of India to expedite a political solution for the Kuki-Zo people in the interest of Justice and the integrity of our democratic institutions."
Janghaolun Haokip, Secretary (Information & Publicity) of Kuki Inpi Manipur, said they have not received any response from the state or Centre regarding their demand.
Mang Khongsai, Home Secretary of KSO GHQ, said Kuki-Zo settlements in the hilly areas have been targeted under the pretext of removing encroachment.
Michael Haokip, an assistant professor at Ambedkar University, dismissed allegations of the Kuki-Zo being immigrants, citing mentions in Buddhist and Sanskrit texts.
Tingbem Khongsai, spokesperson of KSO Delhi and NCR, said the country took notice of Manipur only after videos of women being paraded naked surfaced.
The following are excerpts from a leaked audio recording purportedly from the office of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, which contains statements concerning the ongoing conflict in the state:
1. Alleged Pre-Planning of Conflict: Chief Minister N. Biren Singh reportedly stated that he had planned the current conflict for the past 10-15 years to protect the Meitei community. His statements suggest that this large-scale conflict, involving the majority Meitei population and state machinery against the minority Kuki community, has been orchestrated over a prolonged period. Over the past 10-15 years, the Kuki people have experienced various forms of subjugation and harassment under the pretext of policy and program implementation by the Manipur government. Large areas of Kuki settlement have been declared protected forests, reserved forests, wetlands, or wildlife sanctuaries, despite constitutional protections under the MLR&LR Act, 1960. The destruction of Kuki villages and other settlement areas has been justified as a crackdown on illegal encroachment, disregarding the rights of local populations who have lived in these areas for generations.
2. Use of Derogatory Language and Targeting of the Kuki Community: Demeaning and derogatory terms such as "refugees," "illegal immigrants," and "narco-terrorists" have been used to target the Kuki community, supporting what appears to be a plan for their annihilation. Despite this, the Kuki people have resisted through legal and constitutional means, striving to counter any anti-tribal measures taken by the Manipur state government.
3. Escalation of Violence from May 3, 2023: The situation escalated on May 3, 2023, leading to intense conflict between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki community. The strategic and state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of the Kukis appears to have been carefully executed under the direction of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
4. Alleged Arms Distribution and Use of Force: The leaked audio reveals that Chief Minister N. Biren Singh acknowledged that no arrests have been made of those who looted weapons from the state armoury and that youths armed with looted arms roam freely in the Imphal Valley under his protection. He stated that if anyone were to be arrested, he should be the first. This statement suggests a deliberate plan to arm radicalized Meitei youths, particularly groups like Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun, against the Kuki community, contributing to the destruction of Kuki villages in the foothills of the Imphal Valley. More than 4,000 firearms and 600,000 rounds of ammunition are alleged to have been distributed to these groups.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Biren Singh reportedly claimed to have used mortar bombs against defenseless Kuki populations and their villages with the covert approval of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This raises serious concerns about the potential misuse of constitutional positions and responsibilities. An impartial and thorough judicial investigation into this matter is urgently required.
5. Controversial Statements on the Treatment of Kuki Women: Regarding the parading of two Kuki women, Chief Minister Biren Singh argued that there is no evidence or proof of rape, thus justifying the inhumane treatment of the women and demeaning the intrinsic values and dignity of women across the country.
6. Communalization of Employment Opportunities: The Chief Minister allegedly targeted Kuki officials employed in the Manipur Secretariat, using the reservation policy for Scheduled Tribes of India to campaign against the Kuki people. He noted that 11 out of 12 department heads in the Manipur Secretariat are from the Kuki community. This apparent communalization of employment opportunities underscores a deliberate effort to attack the Kuki community on multiple fronts, indicating a misuse of his constitutional authority.
7. Cancellation of the Suspension of Operations Agreement: The Chief Minister's persistent efforts to cancel the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed in 2008 between the Union government and Kuki insurgent groups (KNO & UPF) following the events of May 3, 2023, appear to be a blatant attempt to deny the constitutional rights and aspirations of the Kuki people.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
