Kuki-Zo warns of picketing offices over the presence of commandos in Moreh, accuses CM of trying to prolong the conflict

The Kuki-Zo women in Kangpokpi district today protested against the non-withdrawal of Manipur police commandos from the border town Moreh and accused the state's Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of trying to prolong the conflict in Manipur.

The women protestors at Gamgiphai, the peripheral area in Kangpokpi district with Imphal West also shouted slogans, "Removed Meitei Commando from Moreh", and "Reimposed AFSPA in the Valley".

Reiterating the demand of the Kuki-Zo people, CoTU's Media Cell Coordinator, Ng. Lun Kipgen while speaking on the sideline of the protest, said that we have demanded the withdrawal or removal of the state Meitei commandos from the Kuki-Zo-dominated border town Moreh.

He said that the deployment of state Meitei police commandos in Moreh is devoid of sound logic and rationality as tension and suspicion are bound to surface if Meitei militants are certified to roam and loiter freely in areas dominated by the Kuki-Zo.

He also pointed out that the deployment of state Meitei police commandos in Moreh led to renewed violence in the Kuki-Zo-dominated areas where lives were lost and public properties were destroyed.

He continued that we want to know the logic behind delegating the state Meitei police commandos in an area dominated by the Kuki-Zo community where they are certified to roam freely.

"This is the precursor to the tension that has happened recently in Moreh and the incumbent Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is responsible for the renewed or fresh violence in the border town", he asserted.

"In fact, there is ample peace in all areas dominated by the Kuki-Zo community until shattered by attacks from the valley-based militants", he added.

He also said that the presence of state forces, especially the Meitei police commandos in Moreh is nothing but Biren's sinister ploy to prolong the conflict and wanton display of political dominance over the minority Kuki-Zo community by the majoritarian Meitei community.

He asked, "What is the logic and rationality behind delegation of the state Meitei forces, especially, the Meitei commandos in the Kuki-Zo dominated town Moreh when an adequate number of neutral central forces, such as BSF, CRPF, and the Assam Rifles are already there in the areas".

While strongly urging the Central Government for swift action, the CoTU's Media Cell Coordinator, Ng. Lun Kipgen appealed to the Central Government to instruct the state Government to remove the Meitei police commandos, and also the Meitei militants in the guise of police commandos, donning police uniforms, using the state equipment, and using the state police vehicles from the border town Moreh.

While cautioning against various intense forms of agitation, the Committee's Media Cell Coordinator said that we will be waiting for the Central Government's direction to the state, and if there is no swift action taken, the Committee along with the sister organizations will be constrained to picket the state Government's offices located in Kangpokpi district and also within the Kuki-Zo dominated areas.

He also said that for any unwanted incidents arising out of it, the incumbent Chief Minister N. Biren Singh will be solely held responsible.

The Committee on Tribal Unity, or the CoTU, Sadar Hills also reiterated its demand to reimpose the Armed Forces Special Power Act, or the AFSPA, in all the 19 Police Stations in the valley, which were earlier exempted from the purview of the Act, for semblances of law and order in the state as it is highly necessitated for national security reasons.

Meanwhile, the Kuki-Zo women folks in Moreh reportedly caught a Meitei Police officer disguised as an Army this morning at Moreh's morning bazar and escorted him back.

The Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal District's Defence Wing stated in a statement that the Meitei Police officer donning an Army uniform was trying to massacre the Kuki-Zo people in the Moreh morning bazaar area.

While vehemently condemning the alleged disastrous attempt of the Manipur Police Senior Superintendent of Police, Nectar Sanjenbam, donning the Army uniform, the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal Defence Wing stated that the SSP went to the crowded morning market with automatic rifles during the curfew relaxation hours by donning army uniforms and disguised as the army.

However, the local women folk who kept vigil in the area fortunately noticed him and caught him before he executed his evil plan, it stated.

It also stated that while the womenfolk escorted the fake Army Sanjenbam Nectar back to Moreh bazar the Meitei militants and Arambai Tenggol opened fire towards innocent civilians following which the village guards retaliated.

"It is, now, crystal clear that the Meitei commandos and its militia groups, the Arambai Tenggol and surrendered militants are deployed by the Meitei Government in Moreh town to terrorize the Kuki-Zo people", it alleged.

The KIT Defence Wing also wondered as to how and why the Assam Rifles allowed the Meitei police SSP Nectar Sanjenbam to masquerade as Army and carry out attack on Kuki-Zo people in Moreh town with Arambai Tenggol and Meitei militants.

Are the Assam Rifles involved in conspiring against Kuki-Zo people by colluding with the Meitei forces, it asked.

It also cautioned that the indigenous Kuki-Zo people in Moreh and Tengnoupal district will not remain a silent spectators on this alarming threat and urged the authority concerned in the Army to take the matter seriously and look into the same and initiate necessary action against Nectar Sanjenbam and its cahoots.

It further stated that the open deployment of Meitei militias in the name of state forces in the ruthless attacks against the lives and properties of the Kuki-Zo people in Moreh town is senseless and outrageous and is therefore most condemnable.

In fact, such illegitimate use of Meitei militias, such as, Arambai Tenggol and Meitei insurgents against the Kuki-Zo community only expresses the disrespect for law and order duly established under the Constitution of India, it added.

While strongly condemning the alleged dictated deployment of Arambai Tenggol and Meitei militants and allowing them to masquerade as state and centre security forces, the Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal stated that there are enough central forces including BSF, GR, AR, and RAF, and state civil police and Moreh was a peaceful place before the deployment of Meitei militias, the Arambai Tenggol and Meitei insurgents in the name of state forces to annihilate Kuki-Zo people.

It pointed out that there will be no peace in Moreh town until the Meitei forces are removed.

It also stated that the Indigenous Kuki-Zo people in Moreh and Tengnoupal District will not succumb to the dictated deployment of Meitei forces in Moreh town and will continue to fight against the forced deployment of Arambai Tenggol and Meitei insurgence in Kuki-Zo areas.