About 18,000 people live in 115 relief camps in Churachandpur
Imphal/Guwahati:
Two of the 12 trucks and buses torched by protesters in Manipur's Churachandpur district on February 15 were carrying relief material for internally displaced persons, the state government said in a statement on Saturday, amid protests by people in the camps over shortage of rations.
The protesters had looted the offices of the District Commissioner (DC) and the Superintendent of Police (SP) after a senior police officer was suspended from their community for allegedly training members of an armed hilltop group, calling themselves “village defense volunteers.” to call. .
Thousands of people living in relief camps in Churachandpur, during a symbolic 'empty pot' protest – where empty bowls were shown to the media – have alleged that ration provided by the Center has stopped reaching them after the February 15 incident. Two members of the Kuki-Zo tribe were killed during the protest.
“…Following rumors spread by anti-social and irresponsible elements in Churachandpur, a mob of 800 to 1,000 people looted and burnt the DC and SP offices on February 15. Twelve trucks and buses parked in the office complex , were vandalized and burnt, two of which were carrying relief material for camps in Churachandpur district,” Manipur Joint Secretary (Home) Mayengbam Veto Singh said in the statement.
The DC has always ensured that all relief material and food items such as rice, dal, vegetables and other consumables reach the relief camps on time, the state government said in the statement.
“…The latest release took place on February 12 and 13, during which 50,000 kg of rice, 245 bags of dal, 55 bags of sugar and other consumables such as vegetables, cooking oil, eggs, tea and spices were distributed,” the government said.
About 18,000 people are living in 115 relief camps in Churachandpur and the Center has sent food to them through Mizoram, local daily Imphal Free Press reported on February 23.
Protesters in some refugee camps held signs that read: “Food denial is the worst form of violence.”
The government refuted allegations that it had delayed the release of aid materials, pointing to the role of protesters in Churachandpur, including the Kuki-Zo group Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), in the disruption of aid supplies.
“Several welfare measures have been taken for IDPs with the assistance of the Ministry of Interior, and the government assures that it will continue to do the same until all IDPs are adequately rehabilitated,” the government said in the statement on Saturday.
It said threats by the ITLF to the DC and the police chief to leave Churachandpur have caused “mental anguish” not only to the two officers but also to teams who are “working tirelessly for the welfare of displaced persons during this period of violence across the state. .”
Ethnic violence in Manipur over disputes over land, resources, political representation and affirmative action policies has been going on for nine months now.
Both sides accuse each other of atrocities. The Kuki-Zo tribes say their “village defense volunteers” have repelled attacks by armed groups from the valley, who come to the hills across the “buffer zone” with clear intentions. Both call themselves 'village defense volunteers', a definition among the warring factions in Manipur that has become the most controversial because there is nothing to stop these 'volunteers' from killing people under the insurance provided by 'in self-defense'.
The protesters alleged that the senior police officer had been unfairly suspended and reinstated. The Kuki-Zo tribes have repeatedly alleged that state police were involved in attacks on their villages. Police have time and again refuted these allegations, pointing instead to the alleged involvement of Kuki-Zo insurgents in strengthening “village defense volunteers.”
More than 180 people have been killed in the violence and thousands have been internally displaced.
