Manipur: Civil society groups blame CM for failing to contain violence in Jiribam

Women and civil society organisations of Manipur’s Imphal on Sunday blamed chief minister N. Biren Singh for failing to stop the violence in Jiribam district for the last four days that led to hundreds of people fleeing their homes and burning down around over 70 houses.

The convenor of Imagi Meira (a women’s organisation), Thokchom Sujata, told reporters in Imphal on Sunday that Biren and other state leaders need not participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony and they should return to Manipur immediately to tackle the Jiribam issue within 15 days.

“There is no need to attend the ceremony. Prime Minister Modi has remained silent for over a year. He had no time to meet the chief minister to discuss the issue of the Manipur conflict,” she said.

The Meitei-Kuki conflict erupted on May 3 last year, the day Kuki people, supported by militants, launched an attack on Meitei villages.

The violence reignited after a 59-year-old man was found beheaded in Jiribam on Thursday.

“While Manipur is burning and many innocent villagers in Jiribam are under attack by Kuki militants, no leaders from Manipur are here in Imphal. Instead of monitoring the issue, all the state leaders of Manipur, including the chief minister, governor of Manipur, Anusuiya Uikey, and the president of BJP Manipur Pradesh, Adhhikarimayum Sharda Devi are out of the station to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi for his third term as Prime Minister of India,” Sujata said.

She said the violence in Jiribam was reignited due to security lapses. Jiribam town located along National Highway-37 (Imphal-Silchar) has been a lifeline of Manipur.

Meanwhile, the coordinator of Coordinating Body on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), Somorendro Thokchom, said the government’s “willful negligence” led to the recent violence in Jiribam despite repeated appeals for deploying more state forces to strengthen them in the district.

COCOMI is an apex body of various civil society organisation in Manipur that has been involving in the ongoing crisis since the beginning.

One Jiribam town resident, who did not want to disclose their identity, told Hindustan Times the village volunteers are on alert and Manipur police force, including state commandos, have started doing their duties. “Information has been spreading that heavily armed Kuki militants are headed for Jiribam, passing through Halflong, Assam. But precautionary measures are being taken by both state forces and village defense volunteers.”

However, chief minister Biren Singh in a statement issued to reporters on Sunday said, “The CM office has timely communicated to all concerned, including the DG (director general of police), about the possibility of security measures in Jiribam district. The chairmanship of the unified command has already been removed as of May 31, 2023.”

On Saturday, governor Anusuiya Uikey met chief minister Biren at the Manipur Bhawan in Delhi and took stock of the prevailing situation in Jiribam district, asking him to take all possible steps to control the situation there.

Earlier, in an immediate and confidential letter by the government dated January 15, it was reported that about 200 armed Kuki-Zo militants had moved from Churachandpur and reached Phaitol village, Old Keiphundai area of Tamenglong district bordering Jiribam District.

The Manipur director general of police was requested to take all necessary security measures in order to prevent any untoward incidents, as well as to respond to threats posed by the group, in view of the prevailing situation in the state.

The letter was signed by the secretary to the chief minister, N. Geoffrey. A copy of the letter was sent to the chief secretary of Manipur and the Jiribam district magistrate and superintendent of police (SP).