On 14 November 2024, The
Women’s Wing of the Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) has made a
forceful appeal for the speedy and secure release of six Meetei individuals,
including three women, two children, and one infant, who were captured by
Chin-Kuki terrorists on November 11 from Jiribam Jakuradhor Karong in Manipur
at a press conference held in New Delhi.
The captured
individuals have been identified as Yurembam Rani Devi (60), Telam Thoibi Devi
(31), Laishram Heitonbi Devi (25), Laishram Ching-kheinganba (2), Telam
Thajamanbi (8), and a infant Laishram Langamba
who is just 8 months old.
The Women’s Wing of the
Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) claimed that; the eyewitnesses said
that the victims were taken under coercion toward the Barak River.
Unfortunately, two Meetei men, Laishram Barel Meetei (63) and Maibam Kesho (61)
were burned alive during the assault.
The DMCC Women’s Wing
has held the Government of India and Manipur responsible, calling on Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Manipur Chief Minister N.
Biren Singh to take strong action. The committee has demanded immediate
intervention to secure the safe release of the victims.
The DMCC believes that
the Government of India’s 2008 Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with
Chin-Kuki militants is the reason for the ongoing violence. Under the SoO
framework, the government gives protection and support to militant groups as
part of peace-building endeavors. However, the DMCC claims that this mechanism
has unintentionally encouraged such groups, giving them influence over the
government.
The committee stressed
that if the central and state governments act with determination, the
terrorists who depend on government aid and security would likely free the
victims.
The DMCC underlined
that the abduction of women and children amounts to an act of terrorism aimed
at weakening communities. The committee highlighted that failure to ensure the
victims’ release would deteriorate public confidence in the government and
heighten ethnic tensions in Manipur.
“If the leadership does
not act quickly, any hurt that happens to the victims would be regarded as an
implicit endorsement by state agencies,” the DMCC Women’s Wing said. They
warned that inaction could aggravate conflict and prolong violence, sabotaging
stability and harmony in the region.
The DMCC Women’s Wing
also reached out to all conflicting parties to abstain from targeting women and
children, who are among the most helpless victims in any conflict. “Such
violence not only causes irreparable trauma but also weakens the very
composition of communities and future generations,” the committee stated.
They reiterated the
need for unified action from governmental bodies, international organizations,
and civil society to handle this crisis, hold perpetrators answerable, and
protect the lives of abducted individuals.
The DMCC Women’s Wing
stressed that the government’s reaction to this heinous act would serve as a
litmus test for its dedication to human rights, peace, and unity in Manipur.
They insisted on immediate and strong intervention to prevent further escalation
and provide justice for the victims. (PR)