Blaming the government for the crisis situation in Manipur and questioning the silence of the country's prime minister, thousands of protesters, young and old, took to the street in Kangpokpi and lamented that they are like "abandoned children".
The protesters, including villagers of Khamenlok area in Saikul Sub Division, Kangpokpi district, Manipur, held a massive sit-in-protest on Tuesday at Saikul Sub Divisional HQ under the aegis of Kuki Women Union, Saikul block.
The people of Saikul protested the attack and burning down of 10 villages in Khamenlok area from June 12 to 14. The protesters held placards and the tricolour during their protest at Saikul playground.
Various prominent Kuki leaders and Kuki Women Union of Saikul block spoke on the occasion, vehemently denouncing the Khamenlok attack and burning down of 10 villages of the area.
They termed the incident a “calculated state-sponsored design” to annihilate all the Kuki inhabitants and villages of Khamenlok area.
The Saikul protest also questioned the long silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his immediate intervention in bringing solutions to the problems of the Kukis.
The protesters also conveyed to the prime minister their pain over his silence which made them feel like “abandoned children”.
An internally displaced woman from Khamenlok area said that she came to join the protest as she was one among many others from Khamenlok area whose houses and villages were burned down by the dominant community with the support of the state forces.
She said that on June 14, when Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Leisemba Sanajaoba came to Khamenlok area, they were expecting many positive things but unfortunately everything was just the opposite.
Another lady from Khamenlok area said that they need to defend themselves when they are attacked. She said they have never attacked or created violence against the dominant community over the past one and half months.
She also said that they have lost faith in the government as they never get any help from them.
“We have no more hope on the state government as they choose to remain for a particular community”, she added.
She also said that they were like “abandoned children” as even the Centre, especially the prime minister chose to remain silent even after so many of them have been killed and many of their villages burned.
