MIYC says GOI trying to divert root cause of violence in Manipur

Imphal: Manipur International Youth Center (MIYC) has said that the Government of India (GOI) is trying to gain political advantage by diverting drug terrorism in the state over the viral video of two women’s nude parade.
MIYC said in a release on Monday that the 26-second long video has played an important role in diverting public attention from the current conflict while trying to destroy the territorial integrity of Manipur.
It added that if we fail to address the root cause of the current unrest in the state, the current conflict will take a wrong turn.
It also condemned the burning of the houses of the accused in the recent viral video, saying that the crime of one member of his family has affected other innocent members of the family.
According to media reports, more than 200 Meitei women were allegedly raped on May 3 and 4 when the clashes broke out, but the government failed to officially investigate the incidents.
“Several central and state security forces are conducting a manhunt to arrest the miscreants involved in the viral video but the government has turned a blind eye to public pleas to find Hijam Luwangbi and Phijam Hemarjit, who have been missing since July 6, 2023,” the release said.
It recalled that during the Kuki-Naga war from 1992 to 1997, many Meitei citizens lost their lives but remained neutral throughout the war to bring back peace.
The MIYC strongly suspected a political conspiracy over the two-month-old video that surfaced on the Internet just a day before the monsoon session of Parliament.
It said the prime minister in his 36-second long video addressed the nation as an unprecedented event in the country, a cover-up of terrorism and genocide by Kuki militants in Manipur.
It recalled the 2022 Gujarat riots where several women were publicly stripped naked, raped and questioned, an incident which Indian leaders and Bollywood actors expressed regret over.
It also questioned the Prime Minister for not talking about a similar incident involving two women being assaulted in the open in West Bengal’s Malda on July 19, 2023.
It has alleged that the GOI is taking advantage of the viral video to manage cookies separately.
According to some media houses, a separate administration for Kukis has already been approved by GOI in a meeting between Kuki militants and GOI held at Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi on 25 June 2022.
It condemned the government for trying to suppress the Meitei community during the ethnic conflict.
It said protesters were being jailed and speakers were being threatened, and Kukis were being allowed to hold open anti-government rallies during curfew hours.
The MIYC finally appealed to the general public to support and encourage the victims of the conflict.