No Violent Activity After Polls Announcement Indicates N.Biren Singh Handling of Manipur Mayhem

There are signs of let-up in violent attacks on the Kukis in Manipur after the announcement of parliamentary elections.

This is primarily due to the hectic engagement of the narcissist leader N. Biren Singh and his political cohorts including his radicalised militia groups; the Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, in campaign for the ensuing 18th Lok Sabha elections with the interest of protecting their political power by hook or by crook.

They ceased to operate any kind of violent activities against the minority Kukis for the time being as all the state machineries are engaged for election- related processes. However, the militant groups are still preparing for another wave of violent oppression against the Kukis as soon as the polls are over in the State.

Since the beginning of the State-sponsored ethnic cleansing pogrom, the communal Meiteis accused the Kukis of attacking their territory of Imphal valley. However, the fact of the matter is that all gunfights and violent activities in the fringe areas were results of the Meitei radicals’ provocative attacks on the Kuki villages while it is only retaliatory act from the Kukis. There has been no instance of the Kukis starting any violent attack on the Meiteis.

If the communal and radicalised Meiteis’ accusation of the Kukis as the first attacker to the Meiteis is to be true, there could have been many more attacks from the side of the Kuki volunteers even after the announcement of the Model Code of Conduct. The Kukis have no candidate to contest in the ensuing elections and there has been no election-related activities till today. The gunfights usually stop whenever the Meiteis cease their aggressive acts and operation against the Kukis in the peripheral areas.

Even after 11 months of the ongoing state- engineered ethnic cleansing against the minority Kukis, the Meitei militants such as the Arambai Tenggol, Meitei Leepun and Valley-based Insurgent Groups are still intensifying their preparations aimed only at the annihilation of the Kuki-Zo communities after the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

The militants’ combat training and the passing- out parade of the Meiteis’ radical group; the Arambai Tenggol, are regular features on social media platforms. The video clips show the Arambai militants’ training to attack Kuki villages situated along the buffer zones, highlighting their preparation and determination to engage in conflict.

As part of the preparation for the polls, 162 companies of central paramilitary forces have already been deployed in the state. The state is set to get 200 companies of central paramilitary forces for the general elections, voting for which will start later this month.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has set up special polling stations to ensure that internally displaced persons (IDPs) could exercise their franchise.

Manipur Chief Electoral Officer, PK Jha, had said that the authority has identified IDPs spread across 10 districts. There are 60,000 inmates staying in various relief camps. The state will have 24,000 to 25,000 voters in the IDP format. “IDPs can choose the polling station. Around 94 special polling stations have been identified

across the state to facilitate voting by internally displaced persons”, said Jha. “Some 94 special polling stations have been created for inner and outer Lok Sabha polls”.

According to Jha, 29 polling stations have been identified for the inner Lok Sabha constituencies and 65 for the outer seat. There are 24 special polling stations in Kangpokpi district, 22 in Bishnupur district, 15 in Churachandpur district and 9 in Imphal East district.

At least 220 people have been killed, 1,500 injured and 60,000 displaced since the start of the ethnic cleansing on the 3rd of May last year.