Lamka (Churachandpur) women have staged a sit-in protest at the Wall of Remembrance Site at Tuibong on Monday, denouncing the state government’s bid to deploy state forces at the border town of Moreh.
Hundreds of women under the aegis of the women wing of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum congregated at the Wall of Remembrance site to extend their solidarity to all their fellow women protesters at Tengnoupal, who have been voicing their opposition against the advancing state forces heading towards Moreh.
“We are not Meitei, we don’t want Meitei commandos; Stop deployment of Meitei State force in the hill district; Our silent is not our weakness; N.Biren Singh, Know your limit; We want immediate withdrawal of Meitei state force from Moreh; Meitei State forces, don’t interfere in our Kuki-Zo land,” were some of the slogans displayed in the placards.
Speaking to the media on the sideline of the protest, Mary Jones, Secretary of the ITLF women’s wing, said that the protest has been organized because they do not trust the state forces that are allegedly involved in the atrocities on tribal women.
The move came following the state government’s effort to send additional police personnel to the town. While the town already has the presence of Manipur Police, who are currently restricted within their camps, the blocking of the highway occurred as protestors suspect that this could be an attempt to bring in radical outfit members, disguised as state forces into Moreh, a claim that is being denied by the Manipur Police.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has requested the state government to withdraw all Meitei security personnel from Moreh as promised by Home Minister, Amit Shah during his visit to Moreh that no state security force would be stationed in Moreh.
In a press release issued on Monday, ITLF warned that the Kuki-Zo tribals would be forced to start a public agitation in all tribal districts if the request to withdraw the Meitei security personnel is not met by 6 pm of Monday.
The release stated that it is alarmed over the Manipur government’s attempt to station state security forces in Moreh town in Tengnoupal district, which is inhabited by Kuki-Zo tribals.
“It is common knowledge that Meitei security forces are openly supporting the majority community in the present ethnic conflict and as such tribal women in Moreh are blocking the national highway in an effort to stop state forces from entering the border town,” ITLF said.
ITLF claimed that there are also fears that cadres of the militant groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun are embedded with police commandos and could wreak havoc if they enter Moreh.
The release further mentioned that the majority of civil and police officers in Tengnoupal district are from the majority Meitei community, including the Addl. District Superintendent of Police, Sub-divisional police officer and officer-in-charge.
