Imphal: Posing a serious threat to national security, the prevailing unrest in Manipur took a new twist after Kuki militants, which are under Suspension of Operation (SoO), launched back-to-back attacks on both State and Central Security Forces.
Few sections of local media have been claiming the involvement of Kuki militants in the ongoing mass attack on the Meitei Hindu community.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged the Government to declare the Kuki militants under SoO as terrorists for waging war against civilians and security forces. While both the communities (Meitei and Kuki) are “longing for peace, the militants are continuously attacking the Meitei community and security forces in total violation of the rules of SoO”.
COCOMI alleged that a large number of Kuki SoO militants came out from their designated camps and attacked civilians as well as security forces at Moirangpural, Golathabi, Torbung, Maklang and Dolaithabi.
Continuing its war on Meitei Hindus, the heavily armed militants constantly attacked civilians and security forces in villages situated near Kuki-dominated areas.
An act of Ethnic cleansing:
The violence, which broke out on May 3, 2023, afternoon following ATSUM’s “Tribal Solidarity March” had claimed more than 70 lives including a 2-year-old infant and displaced thousands of Meitei Hindus.
Meitei Hindus are the minority in hill districts of Manipur. Kuki is predominant in Churachandpur, Tengnoupal and Kangpokpi districts, where targeted attacks were carried out against the Hindu populace and properties belonging to the Hindu community was destroyed. Such an attack on a particular community is largely seen as a malicious effort of ethnic cleansing.
Affected people, thousands fled their homes and took shelter at safer places. While incidents of armed Kuki miscreants and suspected militants capturing the vacated villages of Meitei are being reported. While Kuki miscreants seizing the residential houses of Meitei Hindus in Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Imphal East, Tengnoupal and Kangpokpi districts are being reported.
In such a report, on May 11, three Meitei Hindus were abducted reportedly by armed Kuki militants from Torbung Bangla, a village under the Bishnupur district which was burnt down by armed Kuki miscreants last week.
The civilians were abducted while they went to their homes to collect food grains believing that the unrest had cooled down in the area.
War on security forces?
The Government deployed around 40,000 additional Central Security Forces to restore peace, but the reports of attacks on Security Forces by the militants (Kuki) raise a serious threat to national security.
We can look at the recently reported incidents of Kuki militants directly engaging with security forces. On May 12 morning, personnel of Assam Rifles were attacked at Toronglaobi Makha Leikai under the Bishnupur district. According to reports, the Kuki militants under SoO attacked the Assam Rifles with IED (Improvised Explosive Devices).
Notably, the same militants launched an attack on State Security Forces on May 11 at Toronglaobi Makha Leikai under the Bishnupur district. During the gunfight, which lasted for around 5 hours, one personnel of Manipur Police Commando, identified as H Jiten Singh of Thanga Heisnam Leikai, Bishnupur district, was killed while four of his team were critically injured.
The Kuki militants attacked Assam Rifles during a routine patrol around May 10 at the hill range in the Pukhao Terapur Dolaithabi Dam area under the Imphal East district. During the militant attack, reportedly, the Assam Rifles personnel was shot on his chest.
From the testimonies of the affected civilians and claims by civil society organisations, unmistakably, the involvement of Kuki militants is an act of adding fuel to the burning fire.
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