Adivasi parishad backs PUCL tribunal report on Manipur violence

The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP), including its Manipur unit and National Youth Wing, has extended firm support to the Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT) convened by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), calling its report “Broken State, Divided People” a landmark step towards justice and reconciliation in Manipur.

In separate but unified statements, ABAVP–Manipur and the ABAVP Youth Wing denounced attempts by certain sections of the Meitei leadership to discredit the Tribunal’s findings. They maintained that the IPT’s report, based on thorough research and impartial assessment, has highlighted critical realities of the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur—realities that, they alleged, “some would rather conceal.”

ABAVP–Manipur underscored that “the struggle for truth and justice cannot be derailed by smear campaigns or intimidation,” stressing that discrediting impartial reports undermines democratic ethos and obstructs the path to peace.

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The National Youth Wing of ABAVP welcomed the Tribunal’s documentation of displacement, targeted killings, sexual violence, and institutional lapses, describing it as a courageous, survivor-centric intervention. Endorsing the Tribunal’s recommendations, it called for a Supreme Court–monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT), disarmament of armed militias with an audit of looted weapons, equitable relief for all displaced persons, and a peacebuilding framework rooted in constitutional justice, including recognition and protection for the Kuki Adivasi under Article 239A of the Constitution.

Reaffirming its commitment to amplify the voices of tribals, particularly the Kuki Adivasi, ABAVP stressed that “true peace will emerge not through denial and distortion, but through accountability, fairness, and an honest reckoning with the truth.” 

Both wings of ABAVP pledged continued support to PUCL and its Independent People’s Tribunal, vowing to stand by democratic institutions and citizens seeking justice, dignity, and equality in Manipur.