The Kuki-Zo Council has justified yesterday’s firing incident in Torbung, placing the blame on the Deputy Commissioner of Bishnupur for initiating the resettlement of Meitei IDPs in the Torbung buffer zone, terming the move irresponsible and provocative.
The KZC also asked the Bishnupur DC to take responsibility and roll back the resettlement in this volatile area to avoid further escalation. It said sensitive administration would have avoided resettlement in such a volatile area, adding that allowing Meitei IDPs to resettle in the buffer zone amounts to inviting renewed conflict.
Previous attempts by Meitei IDPs to breach the Torbung buffer zone during the Sangai Festival further point to a pattern of provocation.
“The Kuki-Zo people have consistently exercised restraint and respected buffer-zone arrangements to prevent further bloodshed. The Kuki-Zo Council rejects any attempt to blame the Kuki-Zo for tensions arising from unilateral administrative actions and violations of buffer-zone protocols,” said Ginza Vualzong, KZC Secretary, Information & Publicity, in a statement.
Equally troubling, the statement said, is the sequence of events preceding last night’s incident. The visit by COCOMI leaders to Meitei IDPs at Torbung Mamang Leikai, followed by a public meeting organised by Arambai Tenggol and firing later that night, raises serious questions of intent and responsibility.
The Kuki-Zo people have consistently exercised restraint and respected buffer-zone arrangements to prevent further bloodshed. The Kuki-Zo Council reiterated its rejection of any attempt to blame the Kuki-Zo for tensions arising from unilateral administrative actions and violations of buffer-zone protocols.
