Hours after Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh on Monday rejected the demand raised by 10 Kuki MLAs for a “separate administration”, equivalent to a separate state, comprising the Kuki tribal-dominated districts of Manipur, the 10 legislators in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated their demand.
The 10 MLAs, seven of them are ruling BJP, in their letter to Shah said “that Manipur is now partitioned, is the ground reality”.
“(After the May 3 ethnic violence), there are no tribals left in the Imphal valley. There are no (non-tribals) people belonging to the Meitei community left in the hills. The government of Manipur and its police machinery were communalised and used in the pogrom against the Kuki tribals,” the signed 3-page letter noted.
The letter, available with IANS, to Amit Shah said that “the recent institutionalised ethnic cleansing and atrocities committed by majority Meitei community against the ethnic Kuki-Chin-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar minority community has left everyone aghast”.
“Huge population transfers between the valley and the hills inhabited by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo- Zomi-Hmar had occurred. Kuki colonies and houses were marked and attacked with precision in Imphal city.”
“The spark was ignited in the afternoon of May 3 when Meitei miscreants set fire to the Anglo-Kuki war memorial gate at Leisang in Churachandpur district.”
The letter claimed that as it was premeditated, all Kuki Police officers from the Director General of Police, Additional Director General of Police, Joint DGP down to the constables were stripped of all powers, disarmed and rendered inactive much prior to May 3, while Meitei police were let loose upon Kuki residents of the city as well as of the foothill villages on the same day and thereafter, the letter said.
As a result of the backlash in the hill areas, all Meitei police staff have abandoned their posts in all the hill stations, it said.
The 10 MLAs in their letter said that their people have lost faith in the Manipur government and can no longer imagine resettling in the valley where their lives are no longer safe.
Agencies: Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh Monday rejected a demand made by 10 tribal MLAs of the state for a separate administration for Kuki-dominated districts. “There is no threat to the integrity of Manipur,” the CM told the media when asked about the MLAs’ letter.
“No such situation will affect or alter the integrity of the state. Amit Shah has assured that the Centre would firmly deal with the prevailing situation and work towards restoring peace and normalcy in Manipur,” Singh said. He also urged people to not believe rumours and unverified information. Singh said measures were being taken to ensure that militants, who had signed a peace pact dubbed ‘Suspension of Operations’, return to their designated camps.
Singh also said the priority of his government is to restore peace and normalcy in the state. He also asked DCs and SPs of various districts to ensure that the properties of those who fled homes due to the violence are not looted.
