UKHRUL: The Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA) has strongly opposed the 48-hour shutdown call issued by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), questioning the latter’s mandate to represent the diverse tribal communities of Manipur.
In a statement issued on Friday, SDSA condemned the killing of innocent civilians, irrespective of community or identity, while objecting to what it described as CoTU’s provocative shutdown call and demands.
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SDSA asserted that CoTU, which it described as an organisation representing refugee Kuki interests, neither represents all indigenous tribal communities of Manipur nor possesses the mandate or legitimacy to issue directives within Senapati district or across Naga ancestral homeland.
The Senapati students’ body also expressed concern over what it termed CoTU’s repeated inflammatory statements and confrontational activities, stating that such actions could further deteriorate communal harmony.
Questioning CoTU’s response to past incidents involving Naga civilians, SDSA recalled alleged incidents of indiscriminate firing, burning of homes and threats to lives in Tapon Old, Tapon New, Makui, Makui-Thanamba, Thebram, Champriu, Pipuram, Konsakhul, Chawangkining, Takou, Tokpa and other Naga villages along the Imphal-Tamenglong road.
SDSA questioned whether CoTU had demanded changes in police or administrative jurisdiction following those incidents, stating that the Naga community had exercised restraint to preserve fragile peace despite the alleged attacks.
It further opposed any attempt to exploit the prevailing situation to alter existing police or administrative jurisdiction, warning that such moves would aggravate communal tensions.
The Senapati students’ body also declared that unlawful blockades, shutdowns or obstruction of public movement would not be tolerated within its jurisdiction or across the Naga ancestral homeland. SDSA said CoTU’s leadership must be held accountable for any unlawful acts or untoward incidents arising from the enforcement of its directives, wherever responsibility is established.
Addressing the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, SDSA cautioned against mistaking Naga restraint for weakness, warning that continued provocations and unlawful disruptions would compel it to undertake decisive collective action through all available means to protect the rights, security and ancestral homeland of the Naga people.
“Our restraint is not weakness. Our ancestral homeland is not subject to CoTU’s dictates,” the association stated.
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