Manipur tribal body blames Biren Singh's government for Moreh shootout, demands withdrawal of Meitei police commandos

The Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex body of the Kuki tribes accused Biren Singh led the Manipur Government's arrogance in instigating a "retaliatory shootout" between the Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers and the Manipur police commandos today at the border town Moreh.

"The arrogance of Biren Singh led the Manipur Government to withdraw state forces from Moreh and the indiscriminate use of brute force by the Meitei police commandos at Moreh have instigated a retaliatory shootout between the Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers and the Meitei Police Commandos", alleged KIM.

KIM Information and Publicity Secretary, Janghaolun Haokip said that the shootout at Moreh also caused wide public unrest in the border town raising grievous concern for the safety and security of the Kuki-Zo community.

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He continued that the incident corroborated the persistent suspicion of the locals who had strongly feared the presence of the Meitei police commandos in the town while adding that the locals feared the Meitei police commandos as a serious threat to the collective wellbeing of the people, especially at a time when the state has totally been divided into ethnic lines with unrestrained hostility and the complete failure of law enforcement agencies of the state.

He recalled that the Kuki Inpi Manipur has also made a repeated appeal to the Government of India to withdraw the police commandos from Moreh to prevent any untoward incident against the minority Kuki-Zo community.

He also said that the dictated deployment of Meitei police commandos, despite stark opposition from the locals is clear evidence of the complicity of the Manipur Government and the misuse and abuse of their power and position in the persecution against the Kuki-Zo people.

"The Meitei-led state Government has clearly disdained the sentiments of the Kuki-Zo people and their pride and dignity as a community", he added.

He also said that the deployment of the Meitei police commandos at Moreh against every sensible rationale evinced the arrogance of the state leadership to further their hostility and aggression against the Kuki-Zo people.

He also pointed out that the bulldozing of the state's law and order, and the misuse of state machineries and agencies likewise is greatly alarming.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur, therefore, vehemently condemned the unwarranted deployment of Meitei police commandos at Moreh and the ensuing consequence that had serious physical, mental and emotional detrimental impacts on the people, including the serious threat to their safety and security, he added.

He also said that the open deployment of Meitei state forces in the ruthless attacks against the lives and properties of the Kuki-Zo people is senseless outrageous and highly condemnable.

In fact, such illegitimate use of Meitei state forces against the minority Kuki-Zo community only expressed the disrespect for law and order duly established under the Constitution of India, Haokip added.

Therefore, the Kuki Inpi Manipur reiterated our demand for immediate withdrawal of the Meitei police commandos from Moreh, he further added.

He also said that failing which, the Kuki-Zo people would take on any form of agitation to protect our identity and the integrity of our land while the Government of Manipur will be solely held responsible for any untoward incident and public disorder.