Manipur: CoTU and ITLF condemn 12th Legislative Assembly session amid concerns for Kuki-Zo MLAs' safety

The Committee on Tribal Unity and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum on August 27 denounced the convening of the 4th session of the 12th Legislative Assembly of Manipur on August 29 citing that the present situation is not at all conducive for the Kuki-Zo MLAs to attend. 

Considering the complete breakdown of law and order and the failure of the state to protect the lives of the common people and top officials alike, convening the assembly session at the moment is devoid of logic and rationality.

''Since the outbreak of the current ethnic violence on 3rd May 2023, Imphal valley has witnessed the lynching of more than a hundred innocent Kuki-Zo people and the destruction of thousands of houses including hundreds of churches and quarters. Even the lives and properties of Ministers and MLAs were not spared. Women were stripped, paraded naked, raped, and murdered. Thousands of sophisticated weapons and lakhs of ammunition have been looted, and still remain at large. Yet the present dispensation allows the culprits to roam scot-free. All these instances turn the state into a complete war-like zone. While there is absolute anarchy in the state, the move to convene the assembly session instead of controlling the continued violence perpetrated by the radicalized Meitei outfit first is absolutely unacceptable,'' both the forums said in a joint statement.

They further said that this is nothing but the majoritarian and integrationist approach of the dominant community to impose its will upon the minority community, adding, ''If the state government is really concerned about bringing back normalcy, it should own moral responsibility and resign for good''. 

They further alleged that forcing the assembly session in spite of knowing well that the representatives of a sizeable population of the state will not be able to attend is not only immoral but also exposes the ulterior motive of the dominant community.

''Therefore, the assembly session scheduled on 29th August should be deferred until normalcy-iso is restored and the Kuki-Zo community feels absolutely safe in the valley. If the government decided to go ahead with the session without considering the sentiment of the minority tribal people, any untoward incident arising out of it shall be the sole responsibility of the state government,'' they added.