The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo organisation, has sought the immediate intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah to stop the “discriminatory” Manipur government order transferring 110 Kuki-Zo police personnel to Meitei-dominated valley districts given the prevailing security situation.

The Churachandpur-based ITLF, a conglomerate of recognised tribal bodies, in its representation to Shah, alleged that the February 14 transfer order is a ploy by the BJP-led state government to “target” Kuki-Zo police personnel as they will “not” be able to report for duty in Meitei areas.

“We, therefore, humbly request your office to immediately intervene to stop this discriminatory order before disciplinary action is taken against Kuki-Zo tribal police personnel,” the ITLF said.

The transfer/posting/attachment/detachment order, signed by the Manipur police chief, has impacted 177 cops.

"Of them, 110 are from the Kuki-Zo communities and the rest from Meitei, Naga and Pangal (Muslim) communities. But no Meitei cops have been transferred to Kuki-Zo majority districts," an ITLF member claimed.

Elaborating why it wants the transfer order stopped, the ITLF representation contended that the violence in Manipur, which erupted on May 3, 2023, has led to a “mass exchange of population on ethnic lines, leading to a complete physical separation of communities”.

“Thousands of Kuki-Zo tribals recall how they barely survived being lynched by mobs in the state capital (Imphal) and adjoining valley areas as they fled to army camps or to the jungle to seek safety. The unlucky ones were lynched on the streets or in their homes by merciless mobs led by the militant Meitei groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun,” the ITLF has alleged.

The ITLF has also claimed that central and state security forces belonging to the Kuki-Zo community were “not” safe either, resulting in all tribal police personnel being “evacuated” to tribal districts.

The Kuki-Zo organisation has also cited an incident where three tribal security personnel who were trying to report for duty were “waylaid by a Meitei mob in Moirang and were beaten up mercilessly” before being “rescued” by central security forces serves as a reminder of the danger faced by the Kuki-Zo community. It has not stated when the incident took place.

"It requires them to travel to Meitei districts and, if they survive the journey, be stationed with mostly Meitei police personnel. In other words, this is a death sentence as the government cannot guarantee their safety,” the ITLF claimed.

Efforts to get police reaction were not successful but a security official closely monitoring the Manipur situation, without commenting on the ITLF representation, said transfer-posting is a routine administrative process which “needs” to be honoured.