In a massive demonstration of solidarity, thousands of Kuki women from the Bungpi region in Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi’s Saikul, staged a protest today against the proposed removal of the Saibol Post in the Twichin-Phaimol area.
The Saibol Post is strategically located in a fringe area between Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District and Imphal East, serving as a vital point of security for the region.
The protest, under the aegis of the Kuki Inpi Bungpi (Lhang) Region, was held in Twichin village, which was severely affected by violence in the previous year.
The Twichin-Phaimol area borders Sanasabi, Sabungkhok Khunou, and Yaingangpokpi in Imphal East, making it a buffer zone.
The removal of the Saibol Post has raised significant concerns among the local population, who fear that such an action could leave them vulnerable to attacks.
Mercy, spokesperson of the Kuki Women Union Bungpi Region, expressed the community’s fears, highlighting past incidents where the dismantling of a similar post led to attacks by Valley-Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs).
“The previous demolition left us exposed, and insurgents took advantage of it to launch attacks from the very spot,” Mercy explained.
Mercy continued, “The protest is also to demonstrate our discontentment towards the Manipur Government’s decision to dismantle the Saibol Posts and deploy the state security forces. If we are continuously pressurized or if the state government attempts to forcefully deploy state security forces, we will be compelled to fight back.”
She asserted that “Saibol Post is under Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District, dominated by the Kuki people, and we will not allow the Manipur state security forces to be deployed or occupy it.”
Emphasizing the community’s lack of trust, Mercy stated, “We have already lost our trust in Manipur state security forces, and we are very much aware of the ploy they have played during the ongoing conflict. We have zero trust in Manipur state security forces and will never allow them to enter into the Kuki-dominated area.”
