Looking back at the last 30 days Anything but peaceful
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To get even a rough understanding of the situation in Manipur today, right now, on June 12, one just has to look back at the last 30 days. On May 13, three Church leaders of the Thadou people were killed while on their way back to Kangpokpi from Churachandpur. The spot where bullets rained on them is a stronghold of the Kuki armed groups, and if reports received here are any indications, the writ of the KNF (P) stands tall there. As news of the assassination went viral on the social, complete with all the pictures of the slain Church leaders, 18 Naga people were stopped and picked up at Leilon Vaiphei village. In retaliation, Naga groups also picked up a number of Kuki people. In between Manipur witnessed the fingers of accusation pointed at different groups, with the Kuki organisations, particularly the Kuki Inpi, Manipur accusing the NSCN (IM) and ZUF of the Kamson group of having committed the killings of the three Thadou Church leaders while fingers were pointed at the Kuki armed groups of having carried out the dastardly killings. In between KIM went ahead and imposed a total shutdown at Kuki dominated areas along the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway, constraining the United Naga Council to come out with a counter move and impose a similar restriction on inter-district movement of vehicles, particularly goods laden trucks. In the interregnum, 11 Naga women and a child were released while six men were kept in captivity while the Naga groups released the last remaining 14 Kuki men, safe and sound. The story does not end here, for just one day after the Kuki men were released, the mutilated bodies of the 6 Naga men were recovered. The bodies were recovered only on June 10, just 24 hours after the 14 Kuki men were released. Just one day after the mutilated bodies of the 6 Naga men were recovered, news of a pre-dawn attack at Kultu, a village lying on the Indo-Myanmar border was received. This is besides injuries caused to two others while 15 houses were set aflame by the attackers. Just a small recap of the reality in Manipur in the last 30 days and it stands that the situation is far from normal, forget about peace. This is where it becomes important to question whether the real, undiluted scenario of Manipur is being presented before the political leadership at Delhi or whether only information which would sound good to the Central leaders are being conveyed. Only the State Government can answer this, but the very reason why this poser has been raised should tell its own story, a story which tells of the utmost need for Imphal to present the real, undiluted story of Manipur before Delhi and the world.
And even as Manipur grieved for the six slain Naga men, there is nothing much to show that the men in uniform are sensitive enough to show some empathy. Showing empathy and understanding does not belittle anyone. A line which has obviously not sunk into the consciousness of the gun totting personnel. So while hundreds of grieving people, including family members, had gathered at JNIMS in the night of June 10 to wait for the remains of the 6 Naga men, two Tata Wingers carrying security personnel, ostensibly belonging to the CRPF rushed in with horns blaring. This took place at about 10.30 pm. Public sentiments be damned, was the message carried by the blaring horns and this is something which is unacceptable. The higher ups of the CRPF should look into this, for here is a case of the men in uniform riding rough shod over the sentiments of the people, giving two hoots about the pain and suffering of the bereaved family members as well as the people who had turned out to extend solidarity. In many ways the conduct of the CRPF men demonstrated the indifference of the political leadership of the day to the suffering and trauma of the people. And it is this indifference which may be read into the utter failure to work out who or which group was responsible for assassinating the three Thadou Church leaders, the failure to trace the six abducted Naga men or find their mortal remains despite large deployment of security personnel to trace them for days and it is this indifference which has only made things worse for Manipur. Has Imphal worked up the gumption to convey the reality to Delhi and the rest of the world ? This question is relevant, very relevant.
And even as Manipur grieved for the six slain Naga men, there is nothing much to show that the men in uniform are sensitive enough to show some empathy. Showing empathy and understanding does not belittle anyone. A line which has obviously not sunk into the consciousness of the gun totting personnel. So while hundreds of grieving people, including family members, had gathered at JNIMS in the night of June 10 to wait for the remains of the 6 Naga men, two Tata Wingers carrying security personnel, ostensibly belonging to the CRPF rushed in with horns blaring. This took place at about 10.30 pm. Public sentiments be damned, was the message carried by the blaring horns and this is something which is unacceptable. The higher ups of the CRPF should look into this, for here is a case of the men in uniform riding rough shod over the sentiments of the people, giving two hoots about the pain and suffering of the bereaved family members as well as the people who had turned out to extend solidarity. In many ways the conduct of the CRPF men demonstrated the indifference of the political leadership of the day to the suffering and trauma of the people. And it is this indifference which may be read into the utter failure to work out who or which group was responsible for assassinating the three Thadou Church leaders, the failure to trace the six abducted Naga men or find their mortal remains despite large deployment of security personnel to trace them for days and it is this indifference which has only made things worse for Manipur. Has Imphal worked up the gumption to convey the reality to Delhi and the rest of the world ? This question is relevant, very relevant.