IMPHAL: Thousands of people, mostly women from the Meitei and Naga communities, staged a massive sit-in protest at Khwairamband Ima Market in the heart of Imphal city on Tuesday, defying the humid weather.
The protest was jointly organised by the Naga People Union Imphal, Imphal Naga Business Association, Foothill Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC), Khwairamband Nupi Keithel, Ima Gi Meira, and the Committee on Coordinated Response and Rehabilitation (CCRR) to demand justice for indigenous people killed during the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur and to protest what they alleged was government inaction.
The protest witnessed large participation from members of the Naga, Meitei, Meitei Pangal, and other non-Manipuri communities residing in the state.
The protesters demanded that the government convene a special or monsoon session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly to hold a detailed discussion on restoring peace in the state. They also called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with Kuki armed groups, an end to what they described as India’s “proxy war”, and the release of volunteers from both the Meitei and Naga communities who have been arrested in connection with the conflict.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the protest, Ima Gi Meira convenor Sujata Thokchom alleged that Kuki armed groups had targeted indigenous Meitei and Naga people during the conflict. She also accused the government of failing to ensure justice for the victims.
“There have been many protests in the past without yielding any response from the government. Therefore, we have decided to organise a united demonstration involving multiple communities,” Ms Thokchom said. She further alleged that the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) had admitted responsibility for the brutal killing of six Naga civilians from Konsakhul village, but those responsible had neither been arrested nor punished.
Addressing the gathering, Naga activist Ashang Kasar also criticised the government over its lack of action in the case. He alleged that the bodies of the six Naga civilians have remained in the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences for nearly 40 days since the killings, while their families continue to await justice.
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Ashang Kasar further alleged that the government’s continued silence had raised public concerns over its handling of the case and urged the authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Thousands of people have been rendered homeless and hundreds have lost their lives since the conflict in Manipur erupted on May 3, 2023.
As many as 153 people from the Meitei community have been reported missing to date.
There was no immediate response from the state government to the allegations made during the protest.
