Manipuris living in Kolkata organised a sit-in protest on Saturday at Mukundapur Pool Bank (Stair Case) Near Bus Stand Depot, Kolkata, West Bengal as a mark of protest against the violence going on in Manipur.
The protest, organised under the aegis of Manipuris in Kolkata, was carried out under the theme “One Voice One Movement Peace for Manipur”.
In a release, it said that Manipur has been engulfed in violence for more than six weeks and the violence strated in Churachandpur district on May 3 with the burning of forest offices in protest against the demand for ST by the Meiteis.
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Later in the day of the rally, Kukis started to attack Meitei settlements in both Churachandpur and the adjoining areas in retaliation against the “attempt to burn the centenary gate” by unknown miscreants. Retaliation began on the same night on all Kuki settlements in Bishnupur and Imphal areas. Since then, there has been a war-like situation, it added.
It stated that while the state and the central forces have not been able to curb the violence, civilians are increasingly becoming restless and outraged by the violence.
“We believe the prolonging of violence will not only lead to more casualties and damage but an elimination of the indigenous population from the surface of the earth”, it added.
“As a civil society group and as Manipuris staying away from home, it has become important for us to be vocal about our current situation to garner the attention and support of the entire world to bring about a resolution to this conflict. We consider the current situation as a National Emergency which if not tackled in time will lead to a much worse humanitarian catastrophe,” the release mentioned.
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