Manipur: Zomi Council Steering Committee demands replacement of state commandos with central forces in Moreh

The Zomi Council Steering Committee (ZCSC) submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister today on the militarisation of the Moreh Border Trade Centre and called for an immediate Political Solution for the Zo people (Zomi-Kuki-Mizo) given the continued discriminatory and genocidal actions of Manipur Government.

The memorandum highlighted the Manipur Government’s disparity in treatment of its citizens based on their ethnicity by citing the Government’s prompt reaction towards the recent killing of a Meitei police officer, Chingtham Anand Kumar on October 31, 2023 with the Chief Minister himself offering his condolences, announcing an ex-gratia compensation of Rs.50 lakhs, promising a suitable Government employment for the bereaved Meitei family and calling an emergency Cabinet Meeting to ‘tackle’ the issue while still choosing to remain silent on the matter of the Zo police officer, Onkhomang Haokip who was shot dead while in uniform by a Meitei militant sniper on September 13, 2023.

The letter further explained the communal mindset of the State Forces, naming, in particular, the Manipur State Commandos, whose presence in Zomi and Kuki areas always invited unwanted violence. It also explained how the forced deployment of the same State Forces (Manipur Commandos) who were earlier rejected by the local people by airlifting them to Moreh had caused further tension, insecurity and violence.

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The ZCSC, acknowledging the importance of the Moreh Border Trade Centre for trade and national security reasons, and with its management being a national subject, stated that it is most appropriate to deploy Central Forces like the Army and Para-Military Forces there. This is justified not only because of the current atmosphere but also the national security threats from secessionist Meitei Valley-Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs).

In the interest of peace and national security, the memorandum called for the replacement of all the communally-tainted State Forces, especially State Commandos from Moreh with Central Forces and the deployment of qualified and experienced administrators and Superintendents of Police (SPs) from amongst the Zo people in districts like Tengnoupal, Kanggui, Chandel, Pherzawl, and Lamka as was done in the case of Valley Districts for smooth administration and effective handling of the complex law and order issues.

The memorandum concluded with a call to expedite the ongoing political talks with the Zomi and Kuki groups under Suspension of Operation (SoO) and consider the Zo people’s demand for Union Territory with Legislature and elucidated how the unceasing discriminatory policies, communal attitudes and continued genocidal actions of the State of Manipur truly justified this demand.