Imphal : Meitei Leepun a social organisation based in Manipur working for the interest of Meitei’s cause has strongly condemned the demand by the Kuki community for a separate administrative setup within Manipur and came out strongly on the recent violent riots in Manipur. 

Pramot Singh, the Head (Thouburel) of Meitei Leepun in a telephonic interview with this correspondent said that the 3rd May riot was a planned one by the Kuki illegal militants. They have fooled the people of Manipur by playing the ST card whereas they utilised ATSUM to conduct a peace rally but actually, it was planned by militants with sophisticated weapons to kill and burn down the Meitei people and their properties. 

Pramot said that out of the 16 districts of Manipur, it is the people of two districts namely Churachandpur and Kankokpi comprising only 6 lahks Kuki people are unhappy with the Government of Manipur. He explained that these two districts are adjacent to Meitei’s populated area and the reason for the riot is to encroach on other’s land. Now our Naga brothers have also realised the sinister designs of these rallies which were pitching Tribals versus Meitei.

Explaining why the riots were planned by illegal Kuki militants, he said that they are playing the victim card. Kukis killed and burnt Meiteis in Churachandpur so in retaliation in Imphal Kuki houses were burnt. They destroyed Hindu religious sites which Meitei were worshipping for past hundreds of years before Kukis even knew about a land called Manipur.

So the Kuki churches were burnt, but no Tangkhul or Mao churches were burnt. But if we see that they had fled so easily to Delhi and other places just after the riot and are releasing systematic press releases whereas Meiteis are recovering from the riot and still their people are missing in the hills. That’s why these riots are preplanned.

Meitei Leepun volunteers had got into evacuating and saving the injured people in the riot stricken area including people from other thirty different communities living in Manipur, Promot informed. Explaining, what we need to understand is that almost 50 million people are displaced in Southeast Asia, and these people are looking for land and are encroaching on places in Burma (now Myanmar), Bangladesh, and India.

Due to the soft stance of Meiteis and the Government of India, there has been unprecedented growth of unknown people in the Hills of Manipur particularly in Churachandpur, Chandel districts. These people don’t speak, Manipuri, English, or Hindi. So who are these people and how can they claim the land of Manipur as their forefathers questioned Pramot.

Further, he said that under the leadership of the BJP led by Biren Singh and Narendra Modi government people were very happy with the government’s decisions of undertaking NRC (namely in the form of a Population survey), reserve forests being protected, and the war on drugs, but those drug cartels among the 6 lac population were unhappy, missionaries were unhappy and MLAs were unhappy.

Accusing the Kuki illegal migrants backed by militants for the carnage and encroachment on lands Pramot informed that in the name of relief now they are transporting drugs with a white flag on it. Pramot stated that looking into the evolving situation, the government of India should provide security cover to the state and understand that it is a national security issue and not a Kuki-Meitei clash. 

Pramot stated that Meitei Leepun believes in a strong India, strong Manipur, and strong Meitei and we want to be part of superpower India. He echoed that India never colonised Manipur. When we merged India’s stand was to follow all the laws of Manipur. So people of Manipur are asking why the government of Manipur and India is silent on the issue. This fight is between India and illegal immigrants.

It is an act to curve a homeland in India, Burma, and Bangladesh. He warned that these people are spreading across India under the guise of the victim card and are settling in mainland India and adjoining states. In Ukhrul there have been reported to be many settlers and the next Ukhrul will again boil due to these illegal migrants.

Pramot says the way forward is to talk among communities, CSO, ATSUM etc. with open minds and not with hidden agendas. People should go back to their families and encroachment, intimidation and drug business should stop and those who are illegal migrants identified. People in adjoining Meitei villages of Churachandpur are asking for licensed guns to protect themselves. So what should we do, he asks.