Worried by the constant killing back home, Manipur Tribal Forum(MTF) invited media for an interaction to draw attention towards the burning Manipur.
The Delhi Chapter informed that its counterpart in Manipur met with the visiting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and handed over their charter of demand.
MTF delegation requested the Union Home Minister for an effective intervention to control this ethnic violence while they met at the Assam Rifles office on Tuesday.
“Representatives of our Manipur chapter met with the Union Home Minister. They have put forward the request that a Judicial injury commission be announced which should be headed by a retired Supreme Court Chief Justice “, said convener of Manipur Tribal Forum, Delhi Chapter Vumsuan Naulak
Further, he informed that the delegation raised demands that selected cases be taken up by CBI with no involvement of state officers. Compensation for loss of life and property to be transferred through Direct Bank transfer scheme.
Naulak, also allegedly claimed that the state government of Manipur initiated a targeted ‘Combing Operations’ in the tribal dominated areas. He told the Statesman, “There are tribal youth who have been wrongly charged as insurgents and terrorists. Our delegation in Manipur demanded the release of these people”.
The MTF demanded that the mortal remains of the tribals killed kept at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences(JNIMS), Imphal should be intact and identification by the family members should be allowed.
Meanwhile speaking to The Statesman, Kallol Bhowmick, works for Niyomiya Barta says, “There are several historical Churches and structures that have been burned down in the past few days. There is huge damage done in the past weeks. It needs to stop now. The Union Home Minister’s visit is very important and hopefully it will have the desired impact”.
There is an age-old conflict between the Kuki and Meitei community in the region. Meitei is the Hindu group that has maximum representation in the assembly. The Meitei community’s support allowed the Bharatiya Janata Party to form a government. Kuki follows Christianity. The Kukis live in the hills of Manipur while Meitei communities live in the plains of the region.
The Meitei community wants to be included in the scheduled tribe category while Kuki Community of Manipur has been in the scheduled tribe category since 1950. This difference is becoming wider by the day. And this has been the bone of contention and turned the situation volatile.