The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has demanded the centre for immediate imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur and the sacking of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh led Government, through a press release issued on Monday.
ITLF strongly condemning the Manipur State Government forces actions, also appealed to the Central Government and the Central forces to deploy “more forces” in their villages to protect it’s innocent tribal villagers whose lives are in danger.
ITFL is a conglomeration of recognised Tribes in Churachandpur district of Manipur, one of the worst-affected districts during the ethnic clashes.
Alleging the Manipur State Government along with the Manipur State forces for carrying out “ethnic cleansing” continuously since 3 May 2023 against the tribal people in different tribal villages wherein, tribal villages were burnt down to ashes and many innocent tribals murdered, the release stated that the valley underground cadres disguised in Manipur police uniforms were the perpetrators leading the “endless horrific crime” against the tribals.
“To date, 68 (sixty-eight) tribal people had been confirmed dead and 50 (fifty) or more are still unaccounted for. The number of Churches burnt is 222 (Two hundred and twenty-two) and the number of burnt Churches Administration Buildings/Quarters is 73 (seventy-three). The number of Villages burnt is 115 (One hundred and fifteen) and the number of houses burnt is more than 4000 (Four Thousand Only). The number of tribal people injured is alarming,” the release read.
Mentioning that, while the Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups are in their designated camps, ITLF stated that the poor tribal villagers defending their villages with just a handful of single barrels guns and a few licensed guns were collected from them by the Army leaving them helpless or leaving them to “die at the hands of the State-led machinery.”
Accusing the security forces at present, unsatisfied with the ongoing ethnic killings and cleansing, ITFL in its release stated the SF have started Combing Operations in tribal villages after allowing the looting of arms from 7 MR, 8 IRB, 3 IRB, Manipur Police Training College, and 9 MR.
“The injuries suffered by the village volunteer indicate the use of these sophisticated weapons which were looted,” it added.
It may be mentioned that ITFL had sought the “total separation” of the hill areas inhabited by the indigenous people, primarily those belonging to the Kuki-Chin-Zomi-Mizo group, from the State.
In a petition to former CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) chief Kuldiep Singh, appointed by the security advisor to the Manipur Government soon after ethnic clashes broke out in the State on May 3, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) said the tribal people of Manipur “could no longer live with the dominant Meiteis anymore”.
Accusing the State Government machinery of unleashing genocide on the tribal people and citing a “long history of resentment and discrimination”, the ITLF had also outlined five demands for the Centre to look into.
In another statement released on Monday, ITFL urged CM Biren Singh to release the names and details of the ‘militants’ who had been killed so far. The forum accused CM of being a ‘seasoned liar’.
Singh had on Sunday informed that 40 Kuki militants had been killed since the clashes started on 3 May.
No PR should be released with no evidence. We strongly urge @NBirenSingh to come up with the names and details, of the militants. If unable to provide such names, his claims will be considered as ‘False Claims with no Proof’.#WewantPresidentRule #ResignBiren pic.twitter.com/RD7mkJlZyk
— ITLF Media Cell (@ITLFMediaCell) May 29, 2023
