NEW DELHI: The Manipur Tribunal Forum has urged the Supreme Court to direct the Indian Army to take full control of the state in order to restore peace and normalcy.
The forum also stated that “empty assurances” made by Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and the central government are ‘meaningless’.
The Manipur Tribunal Forum made these remarks in an interlocutory application (IA) that it filed in the Supreme Court.
The forum alleged that the central government and the Manipur CM “have embarked jointly on a communal agenda for the ethnic cleansing of the Kukis”.
The interlocutory application (IA) filed by the Manipur Tribunal Forum also urged the Supreme Court to deploy Indian Army troopers for protection of the tribals.
“…over 81 Kukis were killed, 237 churches and 73 administration building/quarter were burnt and 141 villages destroyed and 31410 Kukis displaced from their homes,” the IA states.
It added: “The assurances of the authorities are not useful anymore and made in a non- serious fashion and are not even intended to be implemented.”
The forum also expressed disappointment over the assurances given by union home minister Amit Shah.
“The home minister has to do more than to mechanically repeat assurances given in other situations at other times. The Home Minister must convince the tribals of Manipur that he is sincere.”
Through the IA, the forum has alleged that the two groups behind all attacks are the Arambai Tenggol, a group that allegedly has the backing of state machinery and the Meitei Leepun an organisation with Meitei nationalist agenda.
The IA also urged the Supreme Court to pass directions to the Indian Army to take full control of law-and-order situation in the districts of Churachanpur, Chandel, Kangpokpi, Impal East and Imphal West in Manipur.
It further seeks formation of an SIT to independently investigate and prosecute those responsible for the assaults on the tribal community in Manipur.