Silence of MLAs Amid Repeated Arson on Kuki Villages a 'Betrayal of Constitutional Oath', Says CoTU

The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills Kangpokpi, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the elected representatives of Tamenglong, Noney, Kamjong and Ukhrul, accusing them of failing to uphold their constitutional responsibilities after two more Kuki-Zo villages were allegedly set ablaze in Nungba subdivision, Tamenglong district.

The committee alleged that aggression against Kuki-Zo habitations has continued unabated in Noney, Tamenglong, Kamjong and Ukhrul districts of Manipur, while the elected representatives from these districts have chosen to turn a blind eye and remain mute spectators.

CoTU alleged that Lengluong and Teikhang villages in Tamenglong district were torched on the afternoon of July 15 by cadres of the NSCN-IM and the ZUF (Kamson faction), describing the attack as part of a continuing campaign of violence against Kuki-Zo habitations.

The committee claimed that the latest incident marked the fifth attack on Kuki-Zo villages in Nungba subdivision, Tamenglong district, within the past two weeks. It further alleged that despite the repeated violence, the constituency's elected representatives, including BJP MLA Dinganglung Gangmei, also known as Dipu Gangmei, the current Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) in Manipur, and former six-time Congress MLA Gaikhangam, had remained silent.

CoTU said the continued silence of the public representatives amounted to a failure to discharge the constitutional duties entrusted to them as Members of the Legislative Assembly.

"Their silence speaks volumes and reflects a failure to uphold the constitutional oath they took to protect the lives and welfare of every citizen within their constituency, irrespective of community, caste or religion," the committee said.

Targeting the incumbent MLA, CoTU said it was "deeply ironic" that a former bureaucrat had neither publicly condemned the alleged attacks nor taken visible steps to prevent armed groups from "tearing apart the social fabric" of his own constituency.

The committee further alleged that the MLA's continued silence raised serious questions about accountability and moral responsibility in the face of recurring violence.

Condemning what it termed the "unabated arson campaign" against Kuki-Zo villages in Tamenglong, Kamjong and Ukhrul districts, CoTU reminded all elected representatives that they were constitutionally bound to safeguard the interests and welfare of every resident, regardless of ethnic, religious or social identity.

The committee also urged both the Centre and the Manipur government to take decisive action against what it described as secessionist and transnational armed groups, warning that failure to curb such organisations would undermine democratic governance and the rule of law.