Manipur crisis: Biren Singh breaks silence, says ‘hunt underway’ for ‘Kuki terrorists who killed six women, children’

Referring to the November 11 incident, Singh, in a video statement, said, “Today I stand here with profound sadness and anger to condemn the horrific killing of three innocent children and three innocent women by Kuki terrorists after being taken hostage in Jiribam. Such barbaric acts have no place in any civilised society. Let me assure you that the hunt for these terrorists is currently underway and they will be brought to justice very soon. We will not rest till they are held accountable for their inhuman actions,” he said.

Speaking about the security forces’ retaliation to the attack, which left 10 men dead, he said, “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the CRPF and state forces for their remarkable courage and their commitment to duty… I also thank my central leaders for their relentless commitment to bringing peace to the state… The central government recently sent 20 companies of CAPF. An additional 50 companies are being sent to strengthen security and restore peace,” he said.

Singh’s statement comes after massive protests rocked Imphal, with angry mobs targeting the homes of ministers and MLAs, including Singh’s personal residence in Heingang. Following this protest, NDA ally National People’s Party, which is led by Conrad Sangma and has seven MLAs, withdrew support to the state government, stating that the government under Biren Singh’s leadership “completely failed to resolve the crisis”.

Takes on Chidambaram

Singh also claimed that Congress leader P Chidambaram created the present crisis during his tenure as Union Home Minister. This was in response to Chidambaram stating that Singh should be removed as CM.

In a now deleted post on X, Chidambaram had stated that deploying 5,000 more CAPF personnel “is not the answer”. He wrote: “It is more wisdom: acknowledging that Mr Biren Singh, the chief minister, is the cause of the crisis and removing him immediately. It is more understanding: that the Meitei, the Kuki-Zo and the Naga can live together in one State only if they have genuine regional autonomy. It is more statesmanship: for the Hon’ble PM to give up his obstinacy, visit Manipur, and speak to the people of Manipur with humility and learn first-hand their grievances and aspirations.”

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh addresses citizens via a video message. (PTI Photo)

While the CM reacted sharply to the social media, valley-based Meitei Congress leaders also spoke out against Chidambaram’s comment on regional autonomy, which aligns in part with Kuki-Zo groups’ demand for separate autonomy for their territories.

Before Chidambaram deleted his post, Manipur Congress Chief K Meghachandra commented: “Please delete it. Manipur is in turmoil situation. It is very sensitive.”

Speaking to ANI, Singh, saying that the present conflict was over the question of “illegal immigration”, alleged that the seeds of the conflict were laid by Chidambaram by entering a Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) in 2008. A couple of months before the outbreak of the current conflict, the Biren Singh government had withdrawn from the SoO agreement with two Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, including the ZRA, alleging that they were “influencing agitation among forest encroachers”.

“Shri Chidambaram is the key person. He is the root cause of the present crisis… When he was the Home Minister of the then Congress government and here in Manipur, Shri O Ibobi Singh was the Chief Minister… they brought a Myanmarese foreigner, Mr Thanglianpau Guite… that person is the chairman of the Zomi Revolutionary Army based in Myanmar… The present crisis is not an ethnic conflict. The present crisis is the problem of illegal migration from Myanmar with drugs and they are trying to dominate the indigenous population of Manipur… When he was Home Minister, he allowed these foreigners to enter India, to enter Manipur and even sign suspension of operation with illegal migrants,” Singh said.

“I want to appeal to him not to play more destructive games to destabilise the state of Manipur and the entire Northeast,” he said.

The Manipur Congress leadership also distanced itself from Chidambaram’s statement.

“This is purely his own view and immediately when we saw his tweet… we informed Mallikarjun Kharge ji and he immediately called all senior leaders. I also personally spoke to Kharge ji that this may be his (Chidambaram’s) personal view but there will be a lot of misunderstanding in the state of Manipur… Immediately Kharge ji spoke to him… immediately he deleted it… We have already informed AICC for appropriate action and I will speak to him not to create such a type of statement for Manipur,” former chief minister and Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh told reports in Imphal.

Charred remains inside the home of BJP leader and Manipur minister Govindas Konthoujam in Bishnupur district. (PTI Photo)

NDA resolution criticised

Meanwhile, COTU, a Kuki-Zo group based in Kangpokpi district, condemned the resolution released after a meeting of NDA MLAs in Imphal on Monday evening, which had been attended by Meitei and Naga MLAs. The group called the resolution evidence of “insatiable appetite to exert political dominance over the minority Kuki-Zo”.

The resolution had urged the Centre to review the reimposition of AFSPA in six police stations in Meitei-dominated valley areas, had demanded “mass operations against Kuki militants responsible for” the November 11 incident, and to declare them “an unlawful organisation” within seven days.

“Casualties of war, whether the victim belonging to Kuki-Zo or the Meitei, is rightly regrettable but the choreographic political drama over the death of six individuals from a particular community is preposterously dangerous political discourse. In fact, the perpetrators of all casualties of death, the Arambai Tenggol and VBIGSs, must be firstly declared as unlawful organisations responsible for annihilation of 218 Kuki-Zo individuals…,” read the statement.