Imphal, August 30: A public review meeting held in Imphal on Saturday strongly rejected the Independent People’s Tribunal Report released by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Delhi, describing it as politically motivated and biased.
The review, organised by the (COCOMI), concluded that the report was “politically engineered to demonise the Meeteis, destabilise Manipur, and malign the community before the national and international community.”
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The meeting was conducted at Hotel Imphal’s Shiroy Hall, presided over by COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba and moderated by retired economist Prof. Ch. Priyoranjan.
Speakers included academics and media professionals such as Homen Thangjam, Malem Ningthouja, Noni Arambam, Yumnam Rupachandra, and Sadokpam Dhiren Ambrose.
Participants alleged that the PUCL report wrongly branded the Meetei community as “anti-India” and misrepresented the Manipur High Court’s position on the Scheduled Tribe issue. They also criticised what they called a one-sided portrayal of violence, noting that the report highlighted incidents of arms looting in the valley but ignored large-scale looting in the hill districts.
Speakers further accused the Tribunal of downplaying the “role of armed Kuki groups, cross-border infiltration, and the use of sophisticated weaponry, while recycling discredited reports such as the withdrawn Editors’ Guild account”.
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The public review resolved to set up a working group under COCOMI to prepare a fact-based counter report. It also recommended fixing accountability against those responsible for misrepresentation and suggested lodging FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against PUCL members for “one-sided and inflammatory” reporting.
COCOMI emphasised that responsible documentation is essential to safeguard the dignity of the Manipuri people and to protect peace and harmony in the state.
(Newmai News Network)