‘Anti-national’, ‘pro-Myanmar’: Manipur govt attacks BJP’s Mizo ally for criticism of Biren Singh

When the Manipur struggle began successful May 2023, the MNF was the ruling party, with Zoramthanga arsenic Chief Minister. The Mizos stock a heavy taste enslaved with the Kukis of Manipur, and the Mizoram authorities since the MNF clip has been vocal successful its enactment to them successful their struggle with the Meiteis.

In a agelong authoritative property connection issued connected Thursday nighttime – the time the MNF sought Biren Singh’s removal – the Manipur authorities accused the MNF of “constant meddling” successful Manipur’s interior affairs and said it had employed “a shrill question of anti-national pro-Myanmar exile propaganda and anti-Manipur stance” successful the Assembly elections successful Mizoram past year.

“To refresh nationalist memory, this governmental enactment has been consistently revealing its existent colours arsenic an anti-national enactment with its beardown absorption to the efforts of the Indian Government to obstruction its unfastened borders with neighbouring Myanmar for the intent of curbing amerciable immigration, trafficking of arms and drugs, interior information and defence. Myanmar is the root of astir of the amerciable migration and drugs problems that Manipur has been facing… The ongoing situation successful Manipur is simply a instauration of amerciable immigrants from Myanmar, whose economy, aft illegally settling successful the State, driven by cultivation of illicit poppy, had taken a terrible deed nether Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s War connected Drugs,” reads the Manipur government’s statement.

The Manipur authorities besides alleged an docket to make a “Kuki-Chin nation” arsenic a origin successful the ongoing struggle successful the state. “We indispensable beryllium wary of the greater docket of carving a Kuki-Chin federation retired of (the) contiguous areas of Myanmar, India and Bangladesh, played retired implicit decades of meticulous planning, done amerciable immigration, onshore grabbing, displacement of archetypal indigenous peoples, enactment of Kuki-Chin dominated districts, constitution of Autonomous District Councils, upgradation of specified Councils to Scheduled Areas, amalgamation of Kuki-Chin areas and yet Nationhood. The Government of Manipur volition not let fragmentation of North East India astatine the behest of overseas vested interests either successful Manipur oregon successful its neighbourhood. Any individual, radical oregon enactment moving with specified intent shall beryllium met with the beardown hands of the law,” reads the statement.

The Manipur government’s effect invoking the Myanmar space enters delicate territory arsenic Mizoram has thrown unfastened its doors to refugees from the state arsenic they stock the aforesaid larger Kuki-Zo taste individuality arsenic radical connected this broadside of the border. In this too, the MNF’s basal is nary antithetic from the ruling ZPM’s.

The Centre’s resoluteness to obstruction the porous Indo-Myanmar borderline has hence been opposed by some the MNF and the ZPM government, arsenic good arsenic by the Nagaland government, led by different subordinate of the NEDA, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party.

Earlier, CM Biren Singh had reacted sharply to speeches made during a US travel successful September by Lalduhoma speaking astir Zo unity and “the aspiration of integration of the Zo people” crossed territories. “No 1 tin interaction Manipur’s integrity,” Biren Singh had said.

In its statement, the MNF sought Biren Singh’s removal saying that “suffering inflicted connected Zofate brethren (referring to the Kuki-Zomi community)… has reached intolerable levels”. Biren Singh’s “inaction and misuse of powerfulness person lone worsened the situation, making his continuation successful bureau some untenable and shameful”, the MNF said.

Before that, MNF Rajya Sabha MP K Vanlalvena sought Biren Singh’s removal arsenic good arsenic President’s Rule successful Manipur.

Besides, Mizoram CM Lalduhoma stated successful an interrogation precocious to The Hindustan Times that President’s Rule was preferable to the existent authorities authorities successful Manipur.

The Manipur authorities connection connected Thursday, however, lone referred to the MNF’s remarks.

In the statement, the Manipur authorities besides claimed that the Biren Singh government’s ‘War connected Drugs’ had led to a driblet successful cause trafficking successful Manipur, adding: “Mizoram has present emerged arsenic the favoured way for planetary transit of amerciable arms, ammunition and drugs betwixt India and Myanmar.”

The connection added: “The MNF should absorption connected the looming menace connected Mizo nine from the drugs commercialized alternatively of passing unwarranted comments connected legally justified acts of the Government of Manipur to combat drugs trafficking. If requested by the MNF, the Government of Manipur volition widen each assistance to the efforts of the State of Mizoram towards curbing drugs.”

The Mizoram authorities has not responded truthful acold to the Manipur government’s charges, including to queries sent by The Indian Express.