Delhi-based Meitei CSOs condemns “unprecedented” aerial bombings in Manipur by Kuki militants

New Delhi: On Monday, Delhi-based Meitei civil society organizations condemned the recent aerial bombings in Manipur, allegedly executed by Kuki militants, which have claimed innocent lives and injured more than a dozen people.

The aerial attacks, conducted with high-tech military-grade drones on September 1 and 2, were followed by armed assaults. According to reports, after the bombings, Kuki militants arrived in an ambulance armed with guns and attacked villagers, resulting in the deaths of a young mother and a man, and injuring ten others, including a policeman, a journalist, the 8-year-old daughter of the deceased woman, and several others. As the villagers fled to safer locations, the attackers continued their violence, engaging in acts of arson and looting. This was detailed in a press conference organized by the Delhi Manipuri Society (DeMaS), Meitei Heritage Society, and Ningol United Progressive Initiative (NUPI).

The Meitei civil societies highlighted that these violent acts pose a significant threat to national security. Speakers at the press conference included Malem Ningthouja, spokesperson for the Meitei Alliance; Col. Kishore Chand (Retd), spokesperson for NUPI; Col. Shanti Kumar Sapam (Retd), spokesperson for Meitei Heritage Society; Ashang Kasar, President of the Indigenous People’s Forum, Manipur; and Dr. Amlan Dutt, a researcher and expert. They outlined several concerns and demands:

1. The civil societies criticized the absence of preemptive measures to prevent the attacks, despite the presence of around 70,000 Central and State security forces and advance alerts of potential aerial assaults. They questioned who is allowing these attacks on Indian citizens.
2. They demanded decisive action from the Central and State governments to neutralize Kuki militants responsible for the attacks.
3. They reiterated their call for strict enforcement of Article 5 (x) of the Revised Ground Rules of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreements (2011) with Kuki militant groups. This article states that if any group is found violating the ground rules, the State Government, upon the recommendation of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), may terminate the SoO arrangements and take appropriate action, including the use of force against the group. They questioned why the JMG remains passive while Kuki groups violate these rules with impunity.
4. The organizations appealed to the nation’s conscience to aid in rescuing Meitei victims of what they described as a premeditated ethnic cleansing that began on May 3, 2024, in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal districts, with ongoing armed assaults in Bishnupur, Imphal, Jiribam, Kakching, and Thoubal districts.
5. They called for the immediate replacement of the controversial Assam Rifles with a neutral force that is acceptable to the people and free from allegations of partisan bias.
6. They urged the government to take steps to prevent violence by foreign-backed Kuki militant groups, which they claim are destabilizing Manipur, a crucial border state of India.
7. They called for measures to safeguard and promote the integrity of Manipur, uphold the rule of law, and foster communal harmony and peace, free from the terror imposed by Kuki militants.

The three Delhi-based civil society organizations stressed that the ongoing conflict should be understood beyond a localized ethnic perspective, asserting that Kuki militant groups pose a broader threat to India’s national security. They urged the Central and State Governments to take immediate and decisive action against these foreign-backed militants operating on Indian soil to prevent further harm. They argued that the Central Government must respond forcefully to protect the lives and property of its citizens.