COCOMI slams renewed crackdown on village volunteers
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jun 27: Taking strong exception to the renewed crackdown on village volunteers, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has questioned why those youth who took up arms to save innocent people should be criminalised.
In the wake of the violent aggression launched on May 3, 2023 and after the Government failed miserably to protect innocent people and their properties from the onslaught, a large number of youth were forced to take up arms to defend the integrity of Manipur and protect innocent people.
Had not these youths been there, the scale of destruction and the number of deaths would have been much higher, said a press release issued by the COCOMI.
It asked the Government whether those youth who volunteered to defend the integrity of Manipur and protect innocent people should be seen as guilty.
It went on to question whether harassment, detention and arrest of those volunteers can bring a solution to the more than three year old crisis.
On the other hand, both the Central Government and the State Government have been watching silently even after the Kuki-Zo Council has publicly admitted that the six Naga hostages were butchered by Kuki terrorists, it decried.
The incumbent Chief Minister has been saying every now and then that his Government has been working hard to bring peace in the State but the renewed crackdown, harassment and arrest of village volunteers has evoked a serious question on the kind of peace the Chief Minister has been working for, the COCOMI said.
It recalled that the youth were forced to loot weapons from Government armouries and defend their villages after both the Central forces and State forces failed to protect them.
The security forces (both State and Central) remained mute spectators to the carnage and widespread destruction unleashed by Kuki terrorists on the pretext that they did not get order from the higher authority to open fire, it said.
Responding promptly to an order issued by the then President’s Rule administration which asked for return of looted weapons by February 27, 2025, all the weapons used in the valley were surrendered to the Government.
Through the same order, the Government also promised that no FIR will be registered against those youth who surrendered weapons in time, COCOMI recalled.
But the Kukis openly declared that they will not surrender any weapon.
If the Government genuinely wanted peace and had taken action against Kukis for refusing to lay down arms, the violence would not have dragged on for such a long time, it said.
The COCOMI warned that it would not remain silent if the Government continues to harass and arrest youth who have all given up arms.
IMPHAL, Jun 27: Taking strong exception to the renewed crackdown on village volunteers, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has questioned why those youth who took up arms to save innocent people should be criminalised.
In the wake of the violent aggression launched on May 3, 2023 and after the Government failed miserably to protect innocent people and their properties from the onslaught, a large number of youth were forced to take up arms to defend the integrity of Manipur and protect innocent people.
Had not these youths been there, the scale of destruction and the number of deaths would have been much higher, said a press release issued by the COCOMI.
It asked the Government whether those youth who volunteered to defend the integrity of Manipur and protect innocent people should be seen as guilty.
It went on to question whether harassment, detention and arrest of those volunteers can bring a solution to the more than three year old crisis.
On the other hand, both the Central Government and the State Government have been watching silently even after the Kuki-Zo Council has publicly admitted that the six Naga hostages were butchered by Kuki terrorists, it decried.
The incumbent Chief Minister has been saying every now and then that his Government has been working hard to bring peace in the State but the renewed crackdown, harassment and arrest of village volunteers has evoked a serious question on the kind of peace the Chief Minister has been working for, the COCOMI said.
It recalled that the youth were forced to loot weapons from Government armouries and defend their villages after both the Central forces and State forces failed to protect them.
The security forces (both State and Central) remained mute spectators to the carnage and widespread destruction unleashed by Kuki terrorists on the pretext that they did not get order from the higher authority to open fire, it said.
Responding promptly to an order issued by the then President’s Rule administration which asked for return of looted weapons by February 27, 2025, all the weapons used in the valley were surrendered to the Government.
Through the same order, the Government also promised that no FIR will be registered against those youth who surrendered weapons in time, COCOMI recalled.
But the Kukis openly declared that they will not surrender any weapon.
If the Government genuinely wanted peace and had taken action against Kukis for refusing to lay down arms, the violence would not have dragged on for such a long time, it said.
The COCOMI warned that it would not remain silent if the Government continues to harass and arrest youth who have all given up arms.