Kuki-Zo students' body opposes new government in Manipur; demands separate adminstration
New Delhi (PTI): The Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Delhi and NCR, has expressed "firm opposition" to the installation of a new government in Manipur saying it lacks "moral or political legitimacy" in the eyes of Kuki-Zo people, who continue to endure displacement, insecurity, and trauma.
Members of the students' organisation held a protest at Jantar Mantar here on Saturday, seeking justice, rehabilitation and accountability for victims of the ethnic violence in Manipur.
In a statement, the group said the imposition of administrative normalcy without justice, accountability, and the consent of the affected communities is unacceptable, demanding a separate administration for the hill districts.
"The scale and sustained character of violence inflicted since May 2023 have created an irreversible political rupture," the students' body said, adding that the Kuki-Zo people no longer consider themselves as belonging to the political and administrative framework of the violence-torn state.
The KSO opposed the recent installation of a "so-called popular government" in Manipur, urging the Centre for immediate acceleration of political dialogue toward a Separate Administration under a Union Territory with Legislature (Article 239 A, Pondicherry model), ensuring autonomy and constitutional safeguards.
"This government does not carry moral or political legitimacy in the eyes of the Kuki-Zo people, who continue to live under displacement, insecurity, and trauma. The imposition of administrative normalcy without justice, accountability, and the consent of the affected community is unacceptable," the statement said.
The students' body also sought arrest and investigation against individuals and groups responsible for violence, including the leadership of Arambai Tenggol, and legal action to prevent further extremist activity.
It called for an investigation into the alleged leaked audio recordings involving former Chief Minister N Biren Singh, and accountability under due process of law, seeking justice and prosecution in all crimes committed against Kuki-Zo victims.
Sanctioning of critical infrastructure, including an airport in Kuki-Zo areas, to address severe transportation challenges, also found mention in its demands.
BJP leader Y Khemchand Singh was sworn in as chief minister of Manipur on Wednesday, ending nearly a year of President's Rule in the state.
BJP MLA Nemcha Kipgen, who belongs to the Kuki community, and Naga People's Front legislator L Dikho took oath as deputy chief ministers of Manipur.
President's Rule was imposed in the state after the BJP-led government headed by N Biren Singh dissolved on February 9 last year, following months of ethnic violence. The 60-member assembly, with its tenure till 2027, was put on suspended animation after imposition of President's Rule.
Manipur has been gripped by ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' organised in the hill districts in protest of the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Since then, at least 260 people, including members of both communities as well as security personnel, have been killed in the violence, while thousands become displaced.
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11k litres of milk poured into Narmada river after religious event; environmentalists see red
Sehore (PTI): Around 11,000 litres of milk were poured into Narmada river, often called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, in Sehore district on the culmination of a 21-day religious event as part of a sanctification ritual, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The event concluded at Satdev village in Bherunda area, located about 90 km from the district headquarters, with a 'mahayagna' on Wednesday.
The milk was offered to the river as part of rituals and prayers for the purity of the waters, the well-being of pilgrims and prosperity, organisers said.
The milk was brought in tankers to the riverbank and later poured into the flowing water amid chanting of mantras in the presence of a crowd of devotees.
However, environmentalists raised concerns over the practice, warning of its potential ecological impact.
"Such large quantities of organic matter can deplete dissolved oxygen in water, adversely affecting the river ecosystem. These impact local communities dependent on the river for drinking water and threaten aquatic life as well as domestic animals," noted environmentalist and wildlife activist Ajay Dube said.
Religious offerings should be symbolic and mindful, he asserted.
Renowned environmentalist Subhash Pandey said 11,000 litres of milk acts as a significant organic pollutant.
"It is highly oxygen-demanding and can lead to oxygen depletion, aquatic mortality, eutrophication (process of plants growing on river surface) and loss of potability. These effects are predictable from dairy-effluent chemistry and have been documented in similar incidents worldwide," Pandey pointed out.
Narmada originates at Amarkantak in the state and traverses 1,312 km westward to Maharashtra and Gujarat, emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, passing through a rift valley, and acts as a crucial water source for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
