Guwahati: Manipur government on Tuesday decided to recommend the Centre to declare World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) an unlawful organisation after a police officer was killed at Moreh and two more personnel were injured in two separate attacks.
The state government also lodged an FIR on Monday against WKZIC after it allegedly asked the Kukis to get ready for “another war” and assured to supply weapons.
“In view of today’s incident leading to killing of a senior police officer, the Cabinet, therefore, approved to also recommend for declaration of the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council as an unlawful association/organization under section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” said a statement issued after a meeting of Manipur Cabinet on Tuesday afternoon.
The decision was taken hours after a sub-divisional police officer, Chingtham Anand Kumar, a Meitei, was killed allegedly by armed Kuki insurgents at Moreh, a Kuki-dominated town near India’s border with Myanmar in Manipur. Kumar was taking stock of work for construction of a helipad at Moreh for police and BSF. Armed miscreants also attacked a police team near Sinam village in Tengnoupal district (Moreh is in Tengnoupal district), who were rushed to Moreh after the SDPO’s death. Two policemen were injured in the firing at Sinam, police said.
The Manipur home department on Monday asked the state police to investigate WKZIC’s alleged call for another conflict.
“The Cabinet noted that the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council had issued a press release on 24.10.2023 calling upon the Kuki-Zo community that during this November, before the harvesting season, the community will face another war; and arms and ammunition should, therefore, be in sufficient stock….It further informed that its national volunteers shall be equipped with the best arms and if required, ammunition will be supplied without limit,” said the statement.
The state government also asked the media organisations not to publish statements issued by any “unauthorised or unrecognised” organisations in order to prevent enmity among groups.
More than 180 people have been killed and over 60,000 others have been displaced due to the clashes between the Meiteis and Kukis since May. No major violent incident was reported in the past few weeks but Tuesday’s attack again raised concern about fresh violence.
(Published 31 October 2023, 13:57 IST)