Manipur tribal body urges Amit Shah's intervention in transfer of Kuki-Zo police personnel to Meitei-dominated areas

Guwahati: Kuki organisations in conflict-hit Manipur on Friday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention in the mass transfer of police personnel belonging to Kuki-Zo community to Meitei-dominated areas. 

The letter by Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a forum of Kuki-Zo organisations, said that the mass transfer of the police personnel amid the ongoing conflict is unacceptable as it may lead to attacks by the Meiteis. 

"It requires them to travel to Meitei districts and, if they survive the journey, be stationed with mostly Meitei police personnel. In other words, this is a death sentence as the government cannot guarantee their safety. The order is clearly a ploy by the communal state government to target Kuki-Zo police personnel as they will not be able to report for duty in Meitei areas," the ITLF said in the letter.

They pointed out that the violence since May last year led to a mass exchange of population on ethnic lines, leading to a complete physical separation of the communities, Kuki-Zo and Meiteis.

"This resulted in all tribal police personnel being evacuated to tribal districts. In an incident earlier, three tribal security personnel who were trying to report for duty, were waylaid by a Meitei mob in Moirang and were beaten up mercilessly before being rescued by central security forces serves as a reminder of the danger faced by the Kuki-Zo community." 

An order issued by the office of director general of Manipur police on February 14 transferred 177 police personnel. The ITLF said 110 of them belong to Kuki-Zo communities. 

The ITLF urged the Home Minister to intervene in the matter before disciplinary action is taken against Kuki-Zo tribal police personnel for not joining their duties.

No movement now:

Manipur police on Friday night (February 23) said the state police headquarters issued an order for transfer of 177 police personnel of all communities of Manipur Rifles and Indian Reserve Battalions in order to streamline the excess manpower against the sanctioned posts available in all such units and to facilitate the process for preparation of their salaries. "However, in view of the present crisis, there is no immediate movement of the personnel required at this stage," police said in a post on X."

Houses occupied:

A group of Kuki persons, who were shifted by security forces from the New Labulane area in Meitei-dominated Imphal in September last year, on Thursday complained that some of their houses were occupied by Meitei armed groups like Arambai Tenggol and UNLF. They alleged that the state government failed to protect their houses even as they were promised when they were shifted to Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi citing safety concerns. A police official in Imphal said on Friday that steps have already been taken to ensure that the houses are not occupied by others.