Ten Kuki legislators in the Manipur Assembly, including seven from the ruling BJP-led alliance, have called for the extension of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) across the state to recover over 6,000 looted weapons.
The demand follows the Centre’s decision on November 14 to reimpose AFSPA in six police station areas, including violence-hit Jiribam, citing the “continuous volatile situation” due to ethnic clashes.
In a joint statement, the Kuki MLAs urged the extension of AFSPA to the remaining 13 police jurisdictions, asserting that the measure is essential to contain the unrest and recover the looted arms.
The violence, which erupted on May 3, 2023, during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, has led to over 220 deaths. The MLAs also stressed the need for political dialogue to bring lasting peace to the state.
The legislators criticized a recent resolution by Manipur’s BJP-led NDA MLAs for a “mass operation” against Kuki militants following the killing of six civilians in Jiribam. They termed the resolution “divisive and communal” and called for impartial investigations into all killings since May 3, 2023, to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
This appeal highlights deep divisions within Manipur’s political landscape, with Kuki MLAs seeking broader measures to restore law and order while addressing allegations of bias in government actions.
