23rd July, 2023: National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), along with over 3,200 + activists, academics, artists, retired bureaucrats and concerned citizens, many representing hundreds of movements and organizations from across the country issued a fervent and urgent Appeal to Madam Draupadi Murmu, Hon’ble President of India, seeking her immediate intervention, in the very grave circumstances of Manipur, requesting her to visit the state and assure justice to all the violated people, in particular the Kuki Zo women who have faced immense sexual, physical and mental violence.
Some of the signatories to the Appeal include Dr. Roop Rekha Verma, Medha Patkar, Harsh Mander, Prof. Virginius Xaxa, Ruth Manorama, Meena Kandasamy, Dr. Gabriele Dietrich, Prafulla Samantara, Elina Horo, SR Darapuri, Prof. Sandeep Pandey, Agnes Kharshiing, Holiram Terang, Prof. Rama Melkote, Jitendra Paswan, Ramarao Dora, Anant Phadke, Kalyani Menon Sen, Kavitha Kuruganti, Ulka Mahajan, Deepa Pawar, Diana, Tavers, Dr. Maroona Murmu, Nalini Nayak, Tshering Chopel Lepcha, Gautam Mody, Henri Tiphagne, Sugathakumari, Romita Reang, Madhu Bhushan, Steffi Lawbei, Manshi Asher, Aquila Khan, Priyanka Samy, Lalita Ramdas, Nandita Narain, Shaktiman Ghosh, Abhirami, Raina, Syed Ali Nadeem and many others.
The Appeal decried the role of the Central and State Government, which has not only failed to restore normalcy to the burning state since 3 months, but has infact been complicit in deepening ethnic tensions and enabling majoritarian violence, leading to gross human rights abuses. It called for a comprehensive and time-bound judicial inquiry to ensure due legal process and accountability of violators and authorities, not only in the ‘viral’ case of sexual violence and murders, but in hundreds of other cases, as admitted by the Chief Minister Mr. Biren Singh, himself. The signatories felt that given their colossal failure, the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of Manipur must be asked to immediately step down, owning moral and legal responsibility.
Amongst other things, the Appeal also urges the President to uphold the rights and safety of all vulnerable sections, especially the tribal women and ensure that there is no unconstitutional and unfair change in the list of Scheduled Tribes. The President has also been requested to hold back assent to regressive amendments to forest laws that would have far-reaching adverse impact on forest cover and forest-dwelling communities, in North-East and across India.
Issued by: National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)
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