Imphal court docket summons Kuki leaders for controversial remarks in The Wire interviews

On thirtieth June 2023, a court docket in Imphal discovered that prima facie grounds exist for defamation instances in opposition to two Kuki leaders for the feedback they made in opposition to the Meitei group. They had made the feedback amid the continuing battle and violence in Manipur in two seperate interviews with Karan Thapar for The Wire.

The court docket additionally issued summons to the Convenor of the Kuki Women’s Forum Mary Grace Zou and Kuki People’s Alliance co-founder Wilson L Hangshing and ordered them to seem on twenty fourth July 2023. This summons is issued to each the Kuki group leaders for his or her contentious remarks in opposition to the Meitei group and the chief minister of the state and the state police departments. These leaders have made controversial remarks in an interview with Karan Thapar on the propagandist YouTube channel ‘The Wire’ on 26 May and 14 June.

After the interviews have been posted on the YouTube channel of The Wire and the portal printed experiences based mostly on the identical, Manipuri activist Lourembam Cha Somorendro filed a criticism in opposition to Mary Grace Zou and Wilson L Hangshing below part 200 of CrPC. Accordingly, a case was filed in opposition to the 2 based mostly on this criticism below sections 153A (Promoting enmity between totally different teams), 200 (false assertion), 505(1) (Statements conducing to public mischief), and 120B (prison conspiracy) of the IPC.

The court docket order says that the court docket has discovered that prima facie supplies exist for the fee of offences below the above-mentioned sections. However, the court docket stated that there is no such thing as a materials for offence below the IT Act, because the allegations are primarily associated to feedback made within the interview at Wire.

Both the accused are ordered to seem earlier than the chief judicial Justice of the Peace of Imphal East on twenty fourth June 2023.

Court Summons Kukis girls leaders: Court finds prima facie case in defamation and allegations of great offence in opposition to Convenor of the Kuki Women’s Forum Mary Grace Zou and Kuki People’s Alliance co-founder Wilson L Hangshing. Orders look in July 24, 2023.#savemeitei… pic.twitter.com/3zumxgIAXx

— Meitei Heritage Society (@meiteiheritage) June 30, 2023

Regarding the prayer of the complainant to grab the telephones of accused Mary Grace Zou and Wilson L Hangshing, the court docket stated that will probably be thought-about as and when needed for the investigation and trial.

What is alleged within the criticism in opposition to the Kuki leaders?

In his criticism, Lourembam Cha Somorendro stated, “I have come across the interview of both the accused taken by the “Wire” information Channel on 18-19 June 2023 which have been downloaded in my telephone. Accused Mary Grace Zou acknowledged within the above interview that the Meitei group has pre-planned to kill Kukis and ethnic cleaning of Kukis within the valley space of Manipur and the ethnic violence began within the valley space on third May 2023. The very assertion of Mary Grace Zou is completely false and fabricated which shall quantity to communal enmity and hatred between the Meitel and Kuki communities. Mary Grace Zou additionally gave a defaming assertion within the above interview that some Meitei cultural organisations of Manipur are accountable organisations instigating the current violence which additionally quantities to the fee of deliberate and malicious acts desiring to outrage the Meltei group.”

Lourembam Cha Somorendro additional stated, “Mary Grace Zou also accuses in the above interview that the Chief Minister of Manipur is the main person for causing violence against the Kuki or genocide of Kuki which is totally false. The present situation has been created by the armed Kuki militants against the state Government policy namely 1) Cracking down against illegal immigrants from Myanmar by way of implementing NRC, 2) War on illegal drugs declared by the state government and 3) eviction process against illegal encroachers inside the Reserved Forest Area. One of the reasons assigned by Mary Grace Zou that the present situation is only for demanding Schedule Tribe status by the Meitel community is completely false and irrelevant. Such is the reason the very statement of Mary Grace Zou is destined to encourage the communal tension and disharmony between the Meiteis and Kuki. The very violence in the state of Manipur which started on 3rd May 2023 has been particularly done by the Kuki militants by using heavy and sophisticated weapons in their hands.”

Lourembam Cha Somorendro additionally talked about intimately the statements given by one other accused Wilson L Hangshing. He stated in his criticism, “Wilson L Hangshing as stated in the interview with “Wire” News Channel that the Government of Manipur used the Reserved Forest and Protected Forest to prosecute the Kuki group that are completely false, fabricated and allegation has been made to advertise enmity between the totally different group. He additional acknowledged within the stated interview that the state authorities led by Shri N. Biren Singh who’s a Meitei desires to prosecute and forcibly evict Kuki Community from Reserved and Protected Forest. The propaganda of Wilson L Hangshing within the stated interview has inflicted doubt on the skilled integrity of the Manipur Police Personnel.”

He added, “Not only this the accused Wilson L Hangshing and many people doubted Indian Army by saying many Officers are Meitei and Indian Army cannot be trusted or otherwise transfer. Wilson L Hangshing further stated that thousands of distressed Meitei who have been chased out due to the present violence from Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Kangpokpl and Moreh town are living in the said hilly area with the permission of the District Council which he corruptly uses or attempt to use knowing the same to be false. In fact, the Meitei community have been staying in those areas since time immemorial with proper Jamabandi issued under MLR & LR Act, 1970. Both the accused have committed serious offences with their statements.”

Not resigning at this important juncture: CM Biren Singh

In a brand new flip of occasions within the violence-hit Manipur, chief minister Biren Singh clarified that he’s not going to resign at this important juncture. He introduced that he is not going to resign from the submit when the state is going through huge violence for nearly two months. Amid experiences that he’ll resign at the moment and protest in opposition to the choice to resign by his supporters, Biren Singh tweeted that he’s not resigning.

Amid opposition calls for for his resignation, it was extensively reported at the moment that he’s possible to tender his resignation at the moment. The experiences claimed that Biren Singh will attain the governor at 1 PM at the moment and tender his resignation.

Following the experiences, hundreds of his supporters, largely girls, gathered in assist of him and urged him to not resign. They even blocked the highway stopping him from going to the Raj Bhawan. They have been carrying banners and placards in assist of the CM, asking to stay within the submit.

Manipur has been burning amid battle between the 2 ethnic teams, Meiteis and Kukis. Tensions flared up on May 3 following a ‘Tribal solidarity march’ which was organised in opposition to the Meitei group in search of ST standing.

Meiteis account for almost all of the Manipur inhabitants whereas Nagas and Kukis account for about 40% of the inhabitants. About 130 individuals have been killed within the conflict and several other have been displaced after their homes have been torched and razed.