Manipur: People's Alliance demands judicial enquiry into the violence and arson in Churachandpur

People's Alliance for Peace and Progress, Manipur has demanded a judicial enquiry into the conspiracy of violence and arson in Churachandpur and Tuibong which took place on April 27 and 28.

The organization said that the recent violent agitation by certain tribal groups in Churachandpur District HQ recently exposes the disease Manipur, especially the Churachandpur district, is suffering from. 

''We cannot let the conspirators of the violent agitation and arson scot free for the sake of a peaceful and progressive Manipur. We, therefore, demand the Government of Manipur to conduct a judicial enquiry into the conspiracy behind the violence and arson in Churachandpur HQ and Tuibong on 27th and 28th April 2023 to identify culprits and punish them as per law. We also appeal to people of Manipur to support this demand,'' it said in an official statement on May 2.

The people's alliance further said that the agitators have vandalized and destroyed public as well as private property in the name of protesting for not allowing to start of new settlements in protected forest areas. 

It further said that the K Sonjang village which was evicted in February 2023 started settlement inside the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest boundary only recently and anyone with a little knowledge of Google Earth can easily verify the year of the new settlement. 

''The violent agitators burned the banner carrying the photos of the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh of Manipur and Prime Minster of India Narendra Modi. Besides they also used abusive words against the Manipur Chief Minister. Following the attack, several police personnel sustained injuries who were trying to control the violent agitators burning the forest range office in the Tuibong area. Amongst the injured, one police personal sustained a serious eye injury and there is a possibility that he will lose his eyesight,'' the statement read.

The people's alliance further said that it wouldn't be wrong to say that the violent agitation was orchestrated by the powerful group, who had been indulging in poppy plantation, drug smuggling, and deforestation for many years against the interest of the people of Manipur and India as a whole. 

''It is the strong stand taken by the present government under Biren Singh against poppy plantation, drug smuggling and deforestation, and encroachment inside the reserve and protected forests that have angered the powerful group. Nobody can deny the fact that there have been massive poppy plantations inside the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest area and the encroachment inside the forest area has been continuing for the past many years for the purpose of poppy cultivation,'' it claimed.

''So it can be safely concluded that violent agitation and arson in the Churachandpur HQ and Tuibong area is with the sole purpose of discouraging the government machinery from taking up action against the poppy plantation and the resulting deforestation. It is worth mentioning here that villagers, who were settled inside the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest when the area was declared as protected, can settle inside the forest with a host of rights and there is no question of eviction of the genuine forest settlers. Thus, the eviction of K Sonjang village was just an excuse for the violent agitation and arson and the real issue runs very deep affecting the a whole society of Manipur and India as a whole,'' the statement added.

Commenting on the MLA of Saikot Assembly Constituency, Paolienlal Haokip, the organization said that his role is very dubious. 

''It looked like he was responsible for calming down the agitators indulging in violence and arson. However, we are strongly convinced that he is the person responsible for spreading dissatisfaction amongst the public against the eviction and thus giving an opportunity to the vested interest groups to protest in the name of the eviction. In his various posts on social media, he is spreading dissatisfaction amongst the public, especially the youth of Churachandpur writing that the “reserve and protected forests are declared surreptitiously,'' the people's alliance added.

It further said that one should not forget the majority of the people in different communities of Manipur stand for a united and progressive Manipur.

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