Imphal: With Manipur witnessing another bloody flare-up in tension in the year-long ongoing ethnic violence after six people were shot dead in Jiribam, Meitei civil society groups have rejected a resolution adopted by the ruling NDA calling for a “mass operation” within 7 days against Kuki militants responsible for the killings.
The Meiteis have also set a 24-hour deadline for the BJP-led government, failing which they would take action themselves.
The latest round of violence left three women and three children dead in the Jiribam district on November 10, putting the tense northeastern state on the edge again and evoking criticism of Chief Minister Biren Singh. The resolution was passed on Monday at a meeting attended by 27 out of 38 MLAs for the government.
What is the resolution about?
The resolution calls for the central government to review the need for re-imposing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur and to launch a large-scale operation against Kuki militants allegedly involved in the Jiribam killings within seven days. The MLAs have also urged the transfer of three key murder cases to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Additionally, they have agreed that Kuki militants linked to the Jiribam killings should be designated as members of an “unlawful organisation.”
Kuki groups to take out coffin march
Meanwhile, A coalition of Kuki organisations in Manipur announced plans for a ‘coffin rally’ on Tuesday in Churachandpur to honour and show solidarity with the 10 Kuki-Zo youths who were killed in an alleged gunfight with the CRPF in Manipur’s Jiribam district.
In a joint public notice issued on Monday, the Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF), Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), and Hmar Students’ Association (HSA) called on schools and colleges to send students from class 10 and above to participate in the event, wearing black shirts as a mark of mourning.
The groups will carry 10 dummy coffins to pay their respect to the slain Kuki youths whose bodies are still kept in the morgues.
On November 11, Manipur Police reported that 10 suspected militants were killed in a fierce gunfight with security forces. The clash occurred after insurgents, dressed in camouflage and armed with sophisticated weapons, launched an indiscriminate attack on the Borobekra Police Station and an adjacent CRPF camp at Jakuradhor in Jiribam district.
The militants also reportedly abducted six civilians—three women and three children—from the same district, according to police accounts.
Since May last year, over 220 people have lost their lives, and thousands have been displaced due to ongoing ethnic violence between the Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo groups in the adjoining hill areas.
