UKHRUL: The Thonglang Area Joint Action Committee on Protection of Ancestral Land (TAJACPAL) condemned the act of arson and vandalism at Zaimeng Lake in Senapati district, Manipur on Saturday allegedly by an armed Kuki group. It demanded that the perpetrators be identified and brought to justice within 48 hours.
As per TAJACPAL, heavily armed personnel of the alleged Kuki group, carrying sophisticated weapons, including machine guns, forcefully entered the Zaimeng Lake area on Saturday and torched the whole Zaimeng lake and its vicinity.
It also alleged that the armed group terrorized the innocent labourers who are engaged in lawful government developmental work. The workers were subjected to intimidation and forced to flee for their safety.
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“The perpetrators proceeded to commit extensive acts of destruction and arson, including the burning of essential equipment such as generators, chain saws, electrical welding machines, timber planks, a barrel of diesel, a barrel of petrol, makeshift camps, clothes, blankets and utensils. These actions reflect a deliberate attempt to disrupt normalcy, livelihoods, and peace in the region,” TAJACPAL said in a statement.
Furthermore, the perpetrators allegedly inscribed “Kukiland” on a shelter structure.
Terming the act a deeply “provocative gesture”, clearly intended to incite tension, assert unlawful claims, and disturb the fragile peace in the area TAJACPAL stated that the incident was not merely an act of vandalism, but as a “calculated attempt” to intimidate local communities, undermine lawful activity, and destabilize inter-community harmony. Such acts are unacceptable and will not be tolerated under any circumstances, it stated.
TAJACPAL called upon the Kuki Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), particularly the Joint Development Management Committee (JMDC) of IT Road, to urgently ascertain the identity of the armed individuals involved and clarify their position on the matter.
It is pertinent to note that the JMDC of the IT road was recently convened with the objective of promoting peace and harmony in the region. However, this incident stands in stark contradiction to those commitments and raises serious concerns regarding ground realities, TAJACPAL added.
It demanded that the concerned authorities investigate the matter immediately and ensure that all individuals responsible for the act of violence, intimidation, and destruction are identified and brought to justice within 48 hours.
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“Failure to take prompt and decisive action will compel the people of Thonglang Area to initiate further measures to safeguard their rights, security, and dignity. Any such development, arising out of administrative inaction, will be detrimental to the prevailing peace and harmony, for which the responsibility shall lie solely with the concerned authorities,” it cautioned.
Reiterating its commitment to peace, lawful coexistence, and development,TAJACPAL added that peace, however, cannot be sustained in the face of repeated provocation and unchecked aggression.