Manipur: Meiteis’ body to observe shutdown, demands AFSPA withdrawal
Imphal: An apex body of Imphal Valley-based civil society organisations representing Meiteis in Manipur on Tuesday said it has decided to observe a “shutdown” of central and state government offices for two days from November 27, demanding removal of AFSPA and an operation against suspected Kuki militants.
Addressing a press conference, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) coordinator Thokchom Somorendro alleged that the state government has “failed” to act on a resolution adopted during the November 18 meeting of legislators to initiate an operation against suspected Kuki militants.
“The state government, in a meeting of NDA legislators on November 18, had adopted a resolution for removal of AFSPA and to conduct a ‘mass operation’ against Kuki militants within seven days. However, the government has failed to act on its resolution within the stipulated time frame,” he alleged.
The meeting, held on November 18 night, was attended by 27 MLAs.
“To register our protests over the government’s failure to act on the resolution, all offices of the state and central governments will be locked and shut down for two days from Wednesday,” Somorendro said.
Offices linked to essential services and educational institutions will be “exempted from the shutdown”, he said.
During the meeting of MLAs of the ruling BJP-led NDA in Manipur, a resolution calling for a ‘mass operation’ against the suspected Kuki militants responsible for killing three women and three children in Jiribam district within seven days was adopted, a statement had said.
According to it, the Centre would “review the imposition of AFSPA as per the order dated November 14 with immediate effect”.
The Centre has recently reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur’s six police station areas, including the violence-hit Jiribam.
The AFSPA gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary for the “maintenance of public order”.
Somorendro also claimed that the apex organisation of Meiteis would boycott Union Home Minister Amit Shah till the crisis in the state is resolved.
“Shah has failed to restore peace and solve the crisis. We are boycotting him with immediate effect,” he alleged.
COCOMI also demanded the removal of two Kuki ministers in Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s cabinet.
Violence escalated in Manipur after three women and three children belonging to the Meitei community had gone missing from a relief camp in Jiribam after a gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants resulted in the deaths of 10 insurgents on November 11.
Bodies of those six were later found.
More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.
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