Kuki MLAs Seek Separate Chief Secretary & DGP Posts for Manipur's 5 Hills Districts

GUWAHATI: Reflecting the widening division between the hills and the valley in trouble-torn Manipur, as many as ten legislators from the Kuki-Zomi community including seven from the ruling BJP  on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking separate DGP and chief secretary posts for the five hill districts of Manipur.

In a three-page letter, the legislators said that there should be a seperate DGP and CS for Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Tennoupal and Pherzawl districts in the wake of devastating attacks in the state.

The legislators  pointed out that there has been a "long list of human rights violations, killings of innocent, arson, destruction of properties and burning of villages" targeting their people.

The legislators, who had earlier demanded creation of a separate administration for the Kuki people, stated that the move to ask for separate and senior administrative posts was necessitated since the state capital Imphal (which is Meitei dominated) “has become a valley of death and destruction for the Kuki-Zo people”.

“It is pertinent to mention that even IAS and MCS (Manipur civil service) officers and IPS and MPS (Manipur police service) officers belonging to the Kuki-Zo tribes have been unable to function and discharge their duties as Imphal Valley has also become a valley of death for us,” the legislators stated in their memorandum.

“In order to solve the problems faced by government employees belonging to Kuki-Zo tribes and for efficient administration of the districts inhabited by us, the post of chief secretary or its equivalent post and the post of DGP or equivalent post need to be immediately created,” the letter added.

The legislators asked that other key senior-level posts should also be created in the civil and police departments in public interest.

The legislators also pleaded for Rs 500 crores from the PM’s Relief Fund for rehabilitation of the Kuki-Zo people who have been displaced or lost their homes and livelihoods due to the ethnic clashes.

In their memorandum, the legislators also pointed out instances of how members from their community were targeted in Imphal Valley.

On May 4, Vungzagin Valte, a BJP MLA from the Kuki community was brutally assaulted by a mob in Imphal while he was on his way home after a meeting with chief minister N Biren Singh. On June 14, a mob set on fire Nemcha Kipgen’s, the only female minister in the state cabinet, located at Lamphel in Imphal West district on fire.

It is significant that ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis broke out in the state on May 3, and have been continuing for more than three months, leading to the deaths of over 160 people.