Juxtaposing Victimhood And Self-Victimisation

Public memory is short. Yet, four/five months is not that long to forget or erase a very unprecedented event that shook the whole nation by storm. Needless to say, the depredations underwent and withstood by the Kuki-Zo people in the hands of radical, bigoted Meiteis and a communal State government since May this year have indubitably assumed the proportion of a wholesale ethnic cleansing. The ghastly acts of savagery of State-sponsored Meitei ‘terrorists’ cloaking the attires of ‘mob’ on even minors, totally defenceless and harmless women of Kuki-Zo community who were mercilessly slaughtered, butchered and charred in Imphal valley were still fresh in the minds.

Memories of nude parading of Kuki-Zo women, beheading of a man, and other vicious violence and repulsive attacks on women and defenceless people who were identified with Kuki-Zo ethnicity including their legislator, high ranking government officials, students could not be easily erased with a single event that is clouded with controversy. Survivors of the pogrom that was unleashed in Imphal Valley against the Kuki-Zo people are still haunted by the nightmarish experiences they had gone through. They were hounded out of their homes and herded into security camps. While some could make their way to safer locations, some of them met their ends in the most brutal ways that transcend all human imaginations. Some are killed inside their homes. No amount of lies and morphing efforts could easily supplant or curtail the ordeals we have endured during the past four/five months. Justice for all the Kuki-Zo victims is still awaited.

All of a sudden, Imphal Valley is now apparently awakening to the nuance of humanity with the circulation of photos of two students whose deaths are mired in controversy. The hills and valley has been clearly demarcated after exchange/transfer of population sometime in the mid of May. Since then, no people from the hills did venture into the valley and vice versa. According to a police report, these two teenagers, after being spotted loitering, were advised by Kuki village volunteers of Joupi village, some 60 kilometres away from Imphal, to return to their home. Instead of obliging to the advice, the boy asked for Ganja to the volunteers. In a while, they were whisked away. This is the broad background about the death of the two teenagers. They were not kidnapped from their homes. The case has already been handed over to the CBI. Notwithstanding, raking up the issue afresh is akin to not only stoking more communal passion, but to reinforce the victim card which is vigorously machinated by the Meitei propagandists.

Victims of State-sponsored ethnic cleansing against the Kuki-Zo people and instances of cold-blooded murder are galore. Lest we forget, we append few cases here:

1. Olivia Chongloi and Florence Hangsing were one of the first victims of Meitei atrocities; raped, tortured and killed by the Meitei mobs on the 5th May, 2023.

2. Vungzagin Valte (61), a BJP MLA from Thanlon AC, can barely move without assistance due to the injuries he suffered after a Meitei mob assaulted him on May 4, 2023.

3. David Thiek, a village volunteer from Langza village in Churachandpur was beheaded by Mairembam Romesh Mangang, who is a security guard of Kumbi BJP MLA Shanti Kumar alias Sanisam Premchandra Singh on July 2, 2023.

4. Mrs. Gouzavung Gangte (57), who served as Under Secretary of the Agriculture & Veterinary department was caught fleeing with her family who after being identified as Kukis were all dragged out from their car and attacked- with Mrs. Gangte and her son – Goulalsang (27) losing their life.

5. On May 4, B. Phainom village was under attack by the Meiteis. In the attack, five villagers escape into forest, including three women. Police rescued them from the forest, but the mob seized the five and killed a 56-year old man named Soitinkam Vaiphei, and strip two women naked, which the video went viral, and one women was brutally gang-raped.

There is a stark difference in being the victim and playing the victim, by fabricating or exaggerating victimhood to gain attention and sympathy. But, truth triumphs.