Manipur crisis: All 10 tribal MLAs to skip assembly session, cite security concerns

IMPHAL: All ten (10) tribal MLAs from Manipur are set to skip the one-day session of the state’s assembly on August 29.

The ten Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs from Manipur that also include two ministers in the state’s cabinet have cited security concerns for their decision to skip the assembly session.

The two Manipur ministers belonging to the Kuki-Zi-Hmar communities are Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen.

Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) leader Ginza Vualzong said that all tribal people, including the ten Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs, are scared of visiting the Meitei-dominated Manipur capital Imphal.

“None of the Ministers, MLAs and leaders belonging to the Kuki, Zomi and other tribal communities are willing to visit Imphal due to security reasons,” said ITLF leader Ginza Vualzong.

Meanwhile, the ten Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs from Manipur, on Friday (August 25), hit back at chief minister Biren Singh saying that they have had no communication with the Manipur CM since violence first erupted in the state on May 3.

This claim from the Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs from Manipur came in response to Manipur CM Biren Singh’s remarks that he was in touch with the Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs from the state.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, on Thursday (August 24), had said that he was in touch with the legislators from the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar community and would provide adequate security for them to attend the upcoming assembly session slated for August 29 in Imphal.

The 10 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs from Manipur have been demanding a “separate administration” for the tribals residing in the hill districts of the state.

Reacting to Biren Singh’s statement, the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs from Manipur, on Friday (August 25) claimed that they had no communication with the chief minister since the day ethnic violence erupted in the state on May 3.

On the other hand, union home minister Amit Shah has asked the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of several valley-based organisations from Manipur, to initiate dialogues with “responsible Kuki leaders and groups” to restore peace in the strife-torn state.