Manipur: We are like "abandoned children" say Saikul protestors seeking PM's intervention

Thousands of people including villagers of Khamenlok area in Saikul Sub Division held a massive sit-in-protest on June 20 at Saikul Sub Divisional Headquarters in Kangpokpi district of Manipur.

The sit-in-protest was organized under the aegis of Kuki Women Union, Saikul block against the attack and burning down of ten villages in the Khamenlok area from June 12 to 14.

The protestors held placards and the tricolor during their protest at Saikul playground in the sub-divisional headquarters from 12 noon till late afternoon.

Various prominent Kuki leaders and Kuki Women Union Saikul blocks spoke on the occasion vehemently denouncing the Khamenlok attack and burning down of ten villages of the area while terming the incident as a "calculated state-sponsored design" to annihilate all the Kuki inhabitants and villages of Khamenlok area.

The Saikul protest also questioned the long silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his immediate intervention in bringing solutions to the problems of the Kukis.

The protestors also conveyed to the Prime Minister their pain over his silence which they felt like an "abandoned" child.

An internally displaced woman from the Khamenlok area, who participated in the sit-in-protest said that she came here to join the protest as she is one among many others from Khamenlok area whose houses and villages are mercilessly burnt down to ashes by the dominant community with the support of the state forces.

''On June 14, when Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, and Rajya Sabha MP, Leisemba Sanajaoba came to the Khamenlok area, we are expecting many positive things in the presence but unfortunately, everything turned opposite within our expectations as all the remaining villages were torched moment they left the area,'' she added.

She further continued that the Chief Minister and the Rajya Sabha MP came along with heavy security and weapons which later were used to attack us and the state forces helped our attackers in burning down our villages.

"This is completely against the ethic and principle of any legitimate Government, which should act neutral and treat every citizen equally", she said.

"Discrimination of the Kuki people in Manipur is very high under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh", she further said before adding that it is why our demand for separate administration is justifiable.

While seeking the timely intervention of the Central Government, she said that it will help in limping to normalcy and peace in the state.

Another young lady from the Khamenlok area who also took part in the protest said that life is very important, so we need to defend ourselves when we are attacked while adding that even after a month and a half past of violence we have never been attacked or created violence against the dominant community who constantly attacked, and burnt down our villages.

She also said that there is the state Government and the Chief Minister but we have no Government anymore to which we can hope for addressing our problems and issues as the state Government and the chief minister choose to remain for a particular community.

"We could have no more hope on the state Government as they choose to remain for a particular community", she stated.

She also said that we are like an "abandoned child" as even the Central Government, especially, the Prime Minister chose to remain silent even after so many of us have been killed and many of our villages are burnt down.

She continued that when the Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited us and sought fifteen days to address our problems, we have a ray of hope, but, nothing happened even after fifteen days, rather he sought another five days.

She then urged the central government to do something for thousands of internally displaced persons, people whose villages and houses are burnt down to ashes, and bring solutions to the problems of the Kukis.

The protestors also shouted a slogan, "Stop the state-sponsored attack on the Kukis", "permanent solution will only bring peace in Manipur", "Zero confident on N. Biren Singh", "Impose AFSPA in Manipur valley, invoke PR in the state", etc.

Another woman said, "I don't ever think that a day will come, even if I am a woman, I would be compelled to take our licensed gun to defend ourselves, but, now we are in such a situation".

"I can be easily killed not because of anything else but just because I belong to the Kuki community if I happen to visit Imphal, this is the situation in Manipur right now" she added.

She also said that N Biren Singh is not the Chief Minister of Manipur, but, the Chief Minister of the dominant Meitei community only.

She said that Singh could easily contain the violence when it first erupted in a much more acceptable way, but he chose to remain silent, even if he has all the powers in his resources and everything was available to him.

"N Biren Singh is not a Chief Minister, rather he is a dictator, the worst dictator in our generation", she asserted.

The woman then said that the Kuki people have something which we call "ethics in war" that we never touch women, children, and elderly people but the dominant community even burnt alive inside an ambulance a 7-years old injured minor along with his mother and another woman who accompanied for treatment at a Hospital.

"I cannot go back to the valley, and that is the reason why we are demanding a separate administration, it is not what we wanted to, but the need of the hour", she added.

She said that the central Government must respond to our demand but we wondered as to why the Prime Minister of India is so silent till now.

"We are Indian, and we will die as proud Indians, the Prime Minister must break his silence and address our need of the hour, i.e. separate administration", she asserted.

The sit-in-protest culminated with a prayer from the KWU Saikul block leader.

Also read: Manipur violence: Resumption of normal classes for schools deferred to July 1