Kuki Senior Citizens' Welfare Forum expresses concern

IMPHAL, May 13
A meeting of the executive body of the Kuki Senior Citizens' Welfare Forum Manipur was convened on May 10 and discussed the current issues in Manipur.
During the meeting, the forum strongly denounced the harsh eviction of Tribal Colony on May 9, 2022 and alleged that the Government in the process of discharging their duties, employed tactics which violated basic human rights and sowed the seeds of communal disharmony, said a press release by the Forum.
The Forum also discussed the 'War on Drugs' campaign in Manipur and pledged full support to the Chief Minister's initiative aimed at curbing drug issues in the State.
Stating that the Kuki Church leaders have been preaching to the Kuki people to cede from the activity of poppy cultivation as the act is not only illegal but it also goes against the religious principle, the forum expressed dismay that the Kukis have been unfairly targeted as the main facilitators of the drug business.
The Kuki Senior Citizen's Welfare Forum also highlighted that the drug business and its usage has been a source of great societal ill in Manipur since long and termed it as injustice to put the sole blame on one particular community for the drug problem in the State and appealed to all concerned to stop using the Kuki community as the scapegoat.
Regarding the issue of Reserved Forest areas, the forum maintained that the administration has not been acting as per the Rule of the Law and there is lack of sincerity on their part in implementing the law of the land. The administration has reportedly ignored Tribal Protection laws such as Article 371 C and implementation of HAC,   alleged the forum.