Attack by Kuki Militants? 'Govt Created Panic In Manipur'

'These are just to deflect from the leaked audio tapes of the chief minister which prove his culpability in the ethnic violence against the Kukis that has gripped the state for more than 17 months.'

IMAGE: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh inspects the situation in the hills adjoining Bishnupur-Churachandpur, July 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

"They are likely to create another distraction sometime soon so that media attention remains glued there and away from the chief minister's role," Paolienla Haokip, the Bharatiya Janata MLA from Saikot in Manipur, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com.

What's the situation on the ground right now in Manipur? The state government has withdrawn the claim that 900 Kuki militants were planning to enter Manipur between September 26 and September 28.

The (Manipur) DGP (Rajiv Singh) as well as the security advisor (Kuldiep Singh; appointed by the Union government), has said that these reports are not substantiated.

The Manipur government is deliberately making such unsubstantiated claims to create panic in the state.

These are all just to deflect from the leaked audio tapes of the chief minister which prove his culpability in the ethnic violence against the Kukis that has gripped the state for more than 17 months.

If it were a serious intelligence input, do you think it would have been said so publicly?

It was just what they call Sumang Leela (playing games; Sumang Leela or courtyard plays is a traditional theatre art in Manipur where men play women and vice versa) in Meitei.

This is a drama (the deliberate statement that 900 Kuki militants will attack the borders of districts where Kukis and Meiteis live) to distract the public discourse away from the leaked tapes of the chief minister, wherein he has brazenly admitted and boasted about his role in the ethnic flare up.

It's no wonder that they have formally withdrawn it now.

If you carefully observe the earlier statement of the DGP and security advisor to the Manipur government Kuldiep Singh also, they did not say that they have credible intelligence input (about an imminent attack by 900 Kuki militants crossing over into Manipur from neighbouring Myanmar).

He (the DGP) says this (statement of attack by Kuki militants) comes from the government and it is being verified and had been sent to the concerned (intelligence) agencies for verification.

How can a government, without the input of its intelligence agencies, just go about announcing something as sensitive as that?

IMAGE: Security personnel during area domination operations in the hills and valley area across Manipur. Photograph: ANI Photo

Why would any state government want to do that? What purpose does it serve?

With such sensational lies they have successfully diverted all the attention from those (leaked tapes). The leaked audio tapes are a very damning admission (of Chief Minister N Biren Singh).

The media should try and focus on what is serious. The media should dig out the truth from these tapes wherein he has admitted to his involvement; (the media should focus) not on this diversionary tactic.

If it were a diversionary tactic by the Manipur government, why would they make a U-turn now?

Once the intelligence agencies have found no basis whatsoever of the claim other than withdrawing that claim, what else can they do?

Will this retraction help reduce panic among the Kukis and Meiteis now, which many reports suggest, have been arming themselves to push back such attacks and launch counter-attacks?

Obviously, it will calm the public apprehensions a little. But their objective of trying to completely deflect from the (leaked) audio tapes has been achieved, and if this does not last they are likely to create another distraction sometime soon so that media attention remains glued there and away from the chief minister's role.

Be wary of that.

What was the ground situation when this so-called intelligence report of 900 Kuki militants was made public and what is the situation now?
There are newspaper reports that the Meiteis' and Kukis' village defence committees had prepared themselves for such an eventuality.

For us, the Kukis, we know as soon as the announcements came that it is a diversionary tactic. But because the Meiteis are using it as a justification to use violence against us, we have to get prepared accordingly.

Aren't there enough paramilitary forces to take care of the law and order situation? I'm asking you this because you said 'we have to get prepared',

There are (paramilitary forces on the ground). But sometimes, as you've seen in the past 17-odd months, the state police forces (ally) with the Arambai Tenggol (a militant Meitei organisation) and the valley-based insurgent groups have on occasions breached the buffer zones.

Soon after the false claim there has been increased presence of paramilitary forces in the valley as well as hills. Now that this has been debunked, but as a result of the statement made earlier there has been some buildup on both sides; the presence of the paramilitary forces have been enhanced which is a good thing.

If your allegation that the state government itself is spreading the rumours that 900 Kuki militants could cross over is true, do you see a chance for peace in Manipur?

The establishment is not interested in peace. It's as simple as that.

If they are interested in peace they should find out from where did such an irresponsible input come from instead of just withdrawing it.