Manipur government responsible for violence in state: ATSUM

The All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) on May 10 held the Manipur government responsible for the violence in the state which claimed several lives.

ATSUM further said that the state government did nothing to control the mob thereby leading to the massacre and arson.

''Violence of such scale and intensity would have been prevented had the government intervened at the outset but instead of dousing the fire the state government chose to remain a silent spectator,'' it alleged.

The student's union said that it organized a democratic and peaceful rally under the banner Tribal Solidarity March on March 3, 2023, to register opposition by the tribals to the demand of Meitei/Meetei for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list of the constitutions. 

It further said that on March 2 at 6 pm the Meitei Leepun in order to thwart the democratic rally of the tribals, started enforcing a “Counter Blockade” on roads and highways leading to hill areas though there was no blockade or bandh enforced by ATSUM. 

''Many tribals met harassment and threat in the hands of Meitei Leepun through selective targeting of a particular tribal community,'' it added.

ATSUM said the rally was carried out peacefully and the tribal people in all the hill districts submitted a memorandum to the President of India through the respective district deputy commissioners and ended at around 12:30 pm in all the districts. 

''At around 2 pm in the afternoon Meitei volunteers came and set fire to the Centenary Gate at Leisang in Churachandpur and beat up rally participants who returned home at Kangvai,'' it added.

As per ATSUM, this agitated the tribal people of Churachandpur and instigated a violent scuffle between the Meitei volunteers and tribals who gathered at Kangvai, and fight between the two broke out at around 4 pm at Kangvai and escalated to the burning of houses belonging to both sides in Torbung and Kangvai area.

The students' body claimed that following the violence in the Kangvai area, a mob led by Arambai Tenggol started attacking the Kuki tribal localities in Imphal and villages along the foothills at night. First, churches were attacked and burnt down, and then private houses were torched and burnt to cinder.  

Villages along the foothills were razed to the ground and Kuki tribals were waylaid and those caught were mercilessly murdered, ATSUM claimed. 

''Quarters which are not burnt were ransacked and looted. Cash and jewelry kept inside the houses were looted. Even TVs, Fridges, sofas, beds, and other household items were hauled away and stolen by the attackers,'' the students' body added.

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