In violence-hit Manipur, over 2,000 government employees — including police personnel — were “transferred to districts where they would face no threats,” according to a status report submitted by the State government in the Supreme Court earlier this month.
On Wednesday, ten Manipur legislators, including those from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demand separate or equivalent posts of Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) for the five hill districts of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Tengnoupal and Pherzawl, for efficient administration of Kuki-Zo tribals. The legislators had earlier demanded a separate administration.
Since ethnic violence erupted between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur on May 3, a sharp divide has emerged in the functioning of government offices and the judiciary in the State. Given that the hills are dominated by the Kuki-Zo tribals, while the Meitei people form the majority in the valley districts, officials of both communities are unable to perform their duties in districts where the other is dominant.
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Parallel set-up
Since most top State government offices — including the police headquarters, secretariat and even the High Court — are located in the Imphal valley, the ten legislators demanded a parallel set-up in the hills “to solve the problems faced by the government employees belonging to the Kuki-Zo tribals”.
“It is also pertinent to mention here that even the IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and MCS (Manipur Civil Service) officers, and IPS (Indian Police Service) and MPS (Manipur Police Service) officers belonging to the Kuki- Zo tribes have been unable to function and discharge their duties, as Imphal valley has also become a valley of death for us,” the representation to the Prime Minister said.
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Transferred for safety
On August 1, the Manipur government submitted a status report in the Supreme Court which said that government employees — including IAS officers, drivers, peons, security guards, and school teachers — had been transferred to districts where they face no threats.
While 42 employees were transferred in the High Court of Manipur, 25 officials of the Manipur Finance Service, 389 school teachers, and 28 IAS and MCS officers were transferred due to safety concerns.
The report said that as many as 761 State police personnel had abandoned their posts or were absent from duty. Till June 19, as many as 687 personnel had reported back to work but 74 were still absent. The report added that 1,092 personnel belonging to the Manipur Rifles and the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) had also abandoned their units; while 1,018 personnel later reported to “one or other police unit of the State”, 74 others are still unaccounted for.
‘Convenient place of work’
In June, the State government had issued a “no work no pay order,” which was followed by another order to factor in a convenient place of work where employees can perform their official duties “effectively and comfortably.”
Meanwhile, representatives of the United People’s Front and the Kuki National Organisation — the umbrella groups of 24 Kuki insurgent groups which have signed a Suspension of Operations pact with the government — met Intelligence Bureau officials in Delhi. The insurgent groups are demanding a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo areas.
