Reaffirming their stand for separate administration and urging the centre to recognise the separation of Kuki Zo people from Manipur, thousands of men and women took to the street for peaceful rally in Lamka (Churachandpur) district of Manipur on July 20, 2023.
Braving heavy rainfall on that day, the people marched from Public Ground, Hiangtam Lamka, and reached the finishing point at Peace Ground, Tuibuong, wherein the leaders of the tribal communities addressed the gathering of large crowd after the rally.
Speaking to media persons at the sideline of the public rally, the spokesperson of Indigenous Tribals’ Leaders Forum (ITLF), Ginza Vualzong said the situation in Manipur was far from normal and it was still the same as the Kuki Zo villagers and the villages had been continuously attacked by the radical Meitei groups, thereby killings and arsoning continues every now and then.
Ginza said the nation must have seen the viral video of two Kuki Zo women being paraded naked by the Meitei mob and that the entire World is be shocked to see such atrocities and barbaric act by the Meitei mob towards the Kuki Zo women. The barbaric act of the Meitei community has gone to such a height that they could no longer hide anymore about what they were doing, said the ITLF spokesperson.
Calling the human rights groups and women organizations to taken onto cognizance, Ginza said that it would be made sure that legal actions is filed and action taken up against the culprits involved in the atrocities.
On questions being asked the way forward for the situation to get normal, ITLF spokesperson said the central government needs to provide solution to the political demand of the Kuki Zo people which is ‘Total separation from Manipur.’ “If the central government provides us political solution, then there will be peace,” he said. Ginza also added that the central govt is not doing enough. It has been more than 2 months of the conflict with more than 100 lives lost. In terms of relief, the Kuki Zo people have not receive any relief materials from the central, he added
The spokesperson further said, “We do not have any faith with the state government especially under the Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh government.”
Ginza alleged that Chief Minister Biren is the perpetrator of the crisis and he is the one who propagates hate speech against the Kuki Zo communities by calling unfounded names such as poppy cultivators, illegal immigrants, etc. The spokesperson further alleged that the chief minister is involved with Meitei arm radical groups like Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun.
“There are incidents of the state machinery involving in the attack of the Kuki Zo villages. It is one such reason why we have no faith in the State government,” he said.
