Manipur sportspersons vow to return medals if peace not restored soon

“It is pertinent to mention that we shall surrender our awards” if the Centre fails to take necessary action.

Thirteen top Manipur sportspersons have threatened to return their medals and awards if peace is not restored in the State soon.

In a memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Imphal on Tuesday, the athletes also sought stern action against the extremist groups behind the violence.

The signatories to the memorandum included Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu, weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, former Indian women’s football team captain Oinam Bem Bem Devi, boxer L. Sarita Devi, Olympian judoka Likmabam Shushila Devi, and boxer L. Ibomcha Singh.

Demanding the revocation of the Suspension of Operations agreement with the Kuki extremist groups, the sportspersons said that these outfits have been challenging the integrity of Manipur by killing people and burning down houses, despite the deployment of large companies of Central security forces.

“Paramilitary forces might have been reluctant to prevent the Kuki terrorists from attacking innocent civilians” because of the agreement, they said, while seeking both a rejection of the demand to “disintegrate” Manipur, and the deportation of “illegal migrants” to their respective countries.

“It is pertinent to mention that we shall surrender our awards” if the Centre fails to take necessary action to restore peace in Manipur soon, the memorandum said.

In another statement, the Kabui Mothers’ Association attributed the unrest in Manipur to a misunderstanding between the two communities. “The situation has intensified to a large extent because of the misunderstandings. We, all the communities, have been living together peacefully and lovingly in Manipur since time immemorial irrespective of whether we are from Naga, Meitei, Pangal, Kabui or Kuki or other communities,” the Naga organisation’s general secretary Ranjita Golmei said.