Imphal: The Shillong Times Editor, Patricia Mukhim took to social media and remarked about the chief minister of Manipur N Biren Singh calling Kuki people killed by Manipur police commandos as “terrorists”.
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Patricia Mukhim wrote on her Facebook handle on Monday, “The manner in which Manipur CM, Biren Singh labels the Kuki people killed by armed forces as “terrorists” suggests that he has already considered them as dispensable, when even in the worst of counter insurgency operations, state forces don’t shoot to kill. After all, those who have taken up arms against the state have done so because they have a grouse which must be addressed within the ambit of the Indian Constitution. The way to go about it is to try and resolve those grievances.”
The editor of The Shillong Times observing the clear dichotomy, further pointed out “it is not as if the Imphal Valley is purged of extremist elements. What is the Arambai Tengol and the Meitei Leepun? Weren’t they the ones that looted INSAF rifles and other weapons from the Police Training Centre at Imphal? If a Chief Minister cannot rise above his ethnic leanings he cannot rule over a state with a multi-ethnic population.”
Related | Govt will uproot armed terrorists from State: N Biren Singh
It may be noted that the claim of Kuki Militant or armed terrorist groups involved from section of news outlets in the valley, as well as Manipur chief minister’s accusation is being challenged by the Kuki tribals and other news outlets as Tribal Village Volunteers defending their villages reportedly from the aggression of Meitei miscreants shielded by Manipur police commandos as reported by The Hills Journal.
N Biren while briefing media persons on Sunday said that the fight is between “armed terrorists trying to disintegrate Manipur and the State government assisted by the Centre”. Over retaliatory and defensive operations against the terrorist groups who are using sophisticated arms against the civilian population, around 30 of these terrorists have been killed in different areas. The CM also added a few have also been arrested by the security forces.
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