“The Meitei Heritage expresses its deepest grief and outrage over the barbaric abduction and cold-blooded beheading of a Meitei farmer Soibam Saratkumar Singh while returning from his farm on June 6, 2024 by suspected Kuki militants and miscreants, and subsequent burning of Meiteis houses later in the night.
This heinous act is part of the ongoing engineered violence by separatists group to escalate the violence and justify their illegitimate demands. We are shocked at the repeated escalation of violence and killing to advance their nefarious agenda.
Protecting Lives and Property Must Be Priority Following the killing and burning of Meitei houses, we understand about 250-300 Meiteis have fled or have been evacuated by Security Forces. Many of them had to take shelter at a primary school yesterday.
While we appreciate the efforts of Security Forces to evacuate Meiteis from the area for their safety, Meitei Heritage questions if this is the solution. The primary responsibility of the security forces lies in apprehending the perpetrators who aim to escalate violence and terrorize innocent civilians.
Hunt Down the Culprits, Not Displace the Community Meitei Heritage strongly urges the security forces to launch a swift and decisive operation to hunt down the culprits behind this horrific crime. We believe that displacing the Meitei community creates further divisions and weakens the social fabric, potentially playing into the hands of those seeking to sow discord and advance their divisive agenda.
Jiribam should not become another Churachandpur or Moreh, where Meiteis have been cleansed by Kuki Militants.
Standing Together for Peace We call for unity and solidarity from all communities in Manipur. We are appalled to see some Kuki
groups’ vain attempt to twist this tragic incident and play the victim card instead of working with authorities to ensure a swift investigation, and bringing those responsible to justice. Only through decisive action and a commitment to peaceful coexistence can we build a secure and prosperous Manipur for all.”
This is a press release of the Meitei Heritage Welfare Foundation issued on June 7, 2024.