Manipur | ITLF demands President’s rule & sacking of Biren Singh government, says state forces ‘carrying out ethnic cleansing’

IMPHAL: The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has demanded imposition of President’s rule in the violence-hit Northeast state of Manipur.

Furthermore, the ITLF also demanded the sacking of the current N Biren Singh-led BJP government in the state of Manipur.

“We demand the immediate imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur and the sacking of the N Biren Singh led government,” the ITLF said in a statement.

The organisation also accused the Manipur government and the state’s armed forces of “carrying out ethnic cleansing continuously since 3rd May 2023 against the tribal people in different tribal villages wherein tribal villages were burnt down to ashes and many innocent tribals murdered”.

“It is learned that the valley underground cadres disguised in Manipur police uniforms were the perpetrators leading the endless horrific crime against the tribals,” the ITLF stated in the statement.

It added: “To date, 68 (sixty-eight) tribal people had been confirmed dead and 50 (fifty) or more are still unaccounted for. The number of Churches burnt is 222 (Two hundred and twenty-two) and the number of burnt Churches Administration Buildings/Quarters is 73 (seventy-three). The number of Villages burnt is 115 (One hundred and fifteen) and the number of houses burnt is more than 4000 (Four Thousand Only). The number of tribal people injured is alarming.”

Also read: 11 athletes from Manipur write to Centre, say ‘revoke SoO agreements with militant groups’

“While the SoO groups are in their designated camps, the poor tribal villagers defending their villages with just a handful of single barrels guns and a few licensed guns were collected from them by the Army leaving them helpless or leaving them to die at the hands of the state-led machinery,” the ITLF added.

It further alleged: “Unsatisfied with the ongoing ethnic killings and cleansing, the security forces at present have even started Combing Operations in tribal villages after allowing the looting of arms from 7 MR, 8 IRB, 3 IRB, Manipur Police Training College, and 9 MR. The injuries suffered by the village volunteer indicate the use of these sophisticated weapons which were looted.”

While ‘condemning’ the Manipur government, the organisation also urged the central government “to deploy more forces in our villages to protect our innocent tribal villagers whose lives are in danger”.