Terming the violence and atrocities on Kukis by Meiteis in Manipur as State-sponsored terrorism, progressive thinker and social activist Shivasundar has said that the scene in which over a thousand Meitei men parading three Kuki women naked was the death of humanity which, according to him, has been caused by the expansion of Hindutva terrorism to north-eastern India.
He was addressing a seminar on the tragic tale of Manipur organised by Karnataka State Dalit Sangharsh Samithi (Revolutionary) at S.M. Pundit Rangamandir in Kalaburagi on Sunday.
“Over a thousand Meitei men paraded three Kuki women naked on May 3. They made videos of the incident and let it go viral on social media. It shook not just India but the entire world. It happened in the presence of police personnel. It shows humanity’s death and cruelty’s birth in its ugliest form. The noteworthy thing is that none, except for a boy, is arrested in the case. It is State-sponsored Hindutva terrorism on Kuki tribals, a Christian community,” he said.
“Meiteis are basically a tribal community in Manipur. They are nature worshippers. They have nothing to do with the Hindu religion. They were gradually converted to the Hindu religion in the 18th century. They have been made to believe that they are natives of Manipur and the Kukis, who are Christians, were projected as invaders occupying the territories of Manipur. It is because of the communal Hindutva ideology that these two tribal communities, which were in peaceful coexistence for centuries, have now became foes fighting each other,” he said.
Comparing the Manipur violence with the Gujarat violence of 2002, Mr. Shivasundar said that the Gujarat carnage and the Manipur violence have one thing in common, which, according to him, is: the active support of the ruling government.
“As many experts and the enquiry commissions have put it, any communal violence that erupts spontaneously will subside within 24 hours or 36 hours at the maximum. If it continues for months, we must understand that the violence is State-sponsored. The violence in Manipur broke out on May 3 this year and it is still continuing even after five months. It clearly indicates that the N. Biren Singh government is actively supporting the Meiteis atrocities on Kukis in Manipur,” he said.
“That the police personnel, a majority of whom are Meities, are supplying firearms to Meities and encouraging them to attack Kukis is no longer a secret. As per official records, over 5,000 guns have been stolen from different police stations in that State after the violence broke out. All the firearms were in the hands of Meities who attacked Kukis. It cannot happen without the active support of the ruling government,” Mr. Shivasundar said.
Holding that any State government which fails to protect the lives, honour and the assets of its own people has no right to be in power, Mr. Shivasundar said that the Union government should immediately dislodge the Biren Singh government in Manipur and impose the President Rule.
“Unfortunately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in support of the Biren Singh government in its atrocities on Kukis,” he said.
Putting the Manipur case in a historical context, Mr. Shivasundar said that what is happening in Manipur is a counter to the revolution of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
“Brahminism, which was against human equality and freedom, was defeated by Buddhism in a revolution. However, Buddhism was later defeated by Brahminism in a counter revolution. The Constitution drafted by Dr. Ambedkar was again a revolution that defeated Brahminism. Now, Brahminism is, in a counter revolution, defeating the Constitution that upholds equality and freedom of human beings,” Mr. Shivasundar said.
Dalit leader Arjun Bhadre, legislator B.R. Patil, activist Sushilatai Murari and others were present.
