Deconstructing Meitei Narratives: The Torbung Incident Unveiled

Meiteis have a tendency to construct narratives based on falsehoods, persistently repeating these untruths until they assume the veneer of truth. This method of propaganda, reminiscent of the Nazis, has found a home among Meitei purveyors of fake news, particularly within their media establishments. They seem unburdened by the consequences of their deceit, even if it means appearing utterly absurd.

To this day, Meiteis show no sign of exhaustion in their pursuit of determining who ignited the initial spark in Torbung. The editorials in Sangai Express tirelessly echoed this question, targeting a largely uninformed majority, oblivious to Torbung's geographic location. They frequently insinuated that it was the Kuki who first instigated the conflict.

Yet, what they consistently failed to inquire about was the events preceding the Torbung incident on the 3rd of May. They never raised questions about the over 20 houses that were either set ablaze or vandalized by Meiteis pouring in from the Phoughakchao side.

There were no inquiries into the Meitei mobs brandishing pistols at the Kuki before the conflagration in Kangvai. The identity of Pastor Sehkhohao Kipgen, who was brutally beaten to death by Meiteis in Phougakchao prior to the Torbung incident, was left unexplored.

The media shielded these Meitei transgressions, perhaps because acknowledging them would jeopardize the narrative that the Kuki were the aggressors. They chose to highlight how the rally participants swiftly reached the Churachandpur border but omitted any mention of the Kuki population residing in the Kangvai area. Silence also shrouded the rally-goers' return home after the event and the reasons behind the Meitei attacks on those returning to their residences.

The Meitei media conspicuously sidestepped numerous incidents and aspects that did not align with their agenda of framing the Kuki as the instigators of the conflict. To perpetuate their narrative, they cherry-picked information that suited their purpose while disregarding Meitei transgressions, which, in reality, triggered the Torbung incident. It's crucial to remember that the Torbung incident was not the initial spark.

They sought to convince the world that Meitei women were subjected to rape in Churachandpur, but their efforts were quickly exposed. Their use of old photos from other locations, purportedly depicting Meitei women, crumbled under scrutiny. Likewise, the narrative of a Meitei baby burning inside a van was swiftly debunked, as there was no evidence of such an incident. Among the myriad tales they concocted, those that risked backfiring were hastily discarded, all in the relentless pursuit of perpetuating the Torbung falsehood. They persist in repeating this lie a thousand times, regardless of the credibility they stand to lose.