COTU demands legal action against Meitei Leepun, COCOMI Kuki Inpi rejects formation of Peace Committee

Our Correspondent
KANGPOKPI, Jun 12 : The Kuki Inpi Manipur and the Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills have strongly objected to the formation of the Peace Committee.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur in a statement stated that it is compelled to object to the inclusion of its president as a member of the Peace Committee without prior and proper consultation and information.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur never objected to any peace effort envisaged with an intent of justice. However, the recent order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs North East Division concerning the selection of peace committee members is an exception as the Kuki Inpi Manipur senses no rationale to pursue peace solely with individuals who have engineered the violence against its people, it said.
It must be put on record that the Manipur Government led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh has lost all credibility as it had allegedly "orchestrated" the violence by sponsoring groups such as Arambai Tenggol and Meetei Leepun against the Kukis, KIM said.
While the idea of peace is always welcome, any call for peace and effort to ensure lasting peace needs to be focused on the right approach with the proactive involvement of all stakeholders on a proper table, it said adding "any blatant bull-dozing and authoritative and arbitrary direction such as this one can only hamper the peace process."
The Kukis want peace that entails the essence of justice which can only be realized with the immediate cessation of all "State-sponsored violence and attacks on the Kuki people and their habitations," KIM said.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur does in no way welcome any idea of peace amidst violence that continues to threaten the integrity, safety, and security of our land and our people. Peace must be the result of the concerted efforts of the Union Home Ministry and the affected communities. It cannot be a condition to impose normalcy, it further said.
Meanwhile, in the wake of Meitei Leepun and COCOMI's alleged declaration of "war against Kukis", a public meeting was convened today at Kangpokpi district headquarters under the aegis of Committee on Tribal Unity, Sadar Hills.
There was a huge turnout at the public meeting which was also attended by the village chiefs, various civil society organizations of Kangpokpi district and prominent Kuki leaders.
Rev K Sitlhou, spokesperson of the Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills said that during a four-hour-long meeting, three important resolutions have been unanimously adopted.
Firstly, the people of Kangpokpi condemned the "unlawful statement" of Pramod Singh, chief of the Meitei Leepun, and the COCOMI for allegedly "declaring war against the Kuki community in Manipur" in the strongest terms.
The public meeting also branded the Meitei Leepun and the COCOMI as "outlaw organizations" while terming Meitei Leepun chief Pramod Singh and COCOMI leaders as "terrorists".
The public meeting unanimously decided to demand legal action against the Meitei Leepun and its chief Pramod Singh and the COCOMI and its leaders.
Secondly, the public meeting also unanimously opposed and rejected the formation of the Peace Committee stating that it is very difficult to digest the formation of a peace committee at this juncture when constant violence and attack have been committed against Kukis.
When every kind of violence, attack, killing, and torching of Kuki villages ends, peace automatically will prevail as the Kukis are peace-loving who always want and invite peace, said the spokesperson.
"We are not against peace and the objection to the formation of the peace committee does not mean we do not want peace, but, it is very much unconducive at this juncture when the Meitei groups are constantly engaging in violence, attack, killing and torching the Kukis village," Sitlhou added.
He then said that the public meeting unanimously reaffirmed that "the demand for a separate administration shall be our constant goal until achieved."
Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) in a letter to Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Monday strongly objected to the inclusion of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and representatives of the COCOMI, an apex body of the valley-based civil society organisation, in the peace committee headed by governor.
The Meitei civil society organisations alleged that the Kuki militants who are in SoO are largely involved in the recent violence in the state. There are 2,266 Kuki cadres staying in different designated camps in Manipur after the Centre and the Manipur Governments signed the tripartite SoO agreement with three outfits — KNA, ZRA and KRA — on August 22, 2008.