The Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex body of the Kuki tribe, has urged the Centre to declare the Meitei Leepun, an outfit of the Meiteis accused by Kuki groups of being involved in the violence in the state, as an “outlawed organisation” and to “arrest” its leader Pramot Singh.
The Kuki organisation made the demands to Union home minister Amit Shah in memorandum on June 7, a day after Meitei Leepun chief Singh said in an interview with journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire news portal that it was the “right time” for the central government to intervene in the violence-hit state or “there will be civil war”.
The Kuki Inpi has also sought a probe against other Meitei organisations, such as the Arambai Tenggol, for the attacks on Kukis and inciting communal passion. Meiteis, who are the majority in Manipur, are primarily Hindus and live in the Valley while the Kukis are mostly Christians and live in the hills.
It has demanded that the Centre expedite “total administrative separation” of the Zo people (Kukis, Chins, Hmars and Mizos are collectively known as Zo) now that most Kukis living in the valley have already fled because of the violence.
The demand for a separate administration was first raised by 10 Manipur MLAs belonging to the Zo community on May 12. In a memorandum to Shah on May 15, they had said: “That Manipur is now partitioned is the ground reality. Huge population transfers between the valley and the hills inhabited by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar have occurred. There are no tribals left in the Imphal valley. There are no Meiteis left in the hills...”
Many Kukis had left the valley and Meiteis had left the hills after the violence that began on May 3. The violence has left over 100 dead and affected 45,000.
Referring to Pramot Singh’s interview, the Kuki Inpi said: “...Mr Pramot categorically issued a stern warning to the Kuki people that the Meiteis are still discussing among themselves how to go about annihilating the Kuki people.”
The memorandum added: “He (Singh) said that once the discussion is over among all strata of Meitei society and they reach a consensus, the Meiteis will deliver a huge blow to the Kukis which they won’t be able to defend.... As such, there is prima facie evidence that the Kuki people are still under impending danger from the Meitei people...”
In the interview, Singh had said: “This is the right time that India should intervene because the blow is coming from the Meitei side as a whole. Reaction will be there from the Meiteis as a whole. If you (the Centre and the Manipur government) don’t intervene now, there will be a blow. No force can stop it. There will be a civil war.”
He had added: “But this civil war from the Meitei side, they (the Meiteis) will be able to defend. The Indian government should prepare, the Manipur government should prepare (intervene) now.... It is yet to come. May 3 was just the small spark.”
SC declines plea
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea for urgent hearing of a petition challenging the Manipur government’s decision to indefinitely suspend Internet services, and asked the petitioners to approach Manipur High Court.
