KUki CSO Against Appointment of New SSP(Combat) Nectar Sanjenbam

Last Updated on September 9, 2023 by SPN Editor

Imphal/September 09, 2023 (SPN) | The Kuki CSO like the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), and Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) have strongly condemned the recent appointment of Nectar Sanjenbam as Senior SP (Combat) by the Manipur government.

The Kuki CSO also condemned the gunfight in Pallel, Manipur yesterday. KIM reported that one Kuki village volunteer was killed, and several houses were torched during the incident. ITLF claimed that one soldier and a village volunteer lost their lives in the same gunfight.

KIM’s information and publicity secretary, Janghaolun Haokip, expressed concerns about the controversial appointment of retired Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam as the Senior SP (Combat) of Tengnoupal District.

Haokip criticized the N Biren Singh-led government for not taking sufficient action to prevent such attacks and accused it of exacerbating the violence.

Haokip further warned that security and stability in Manipur would remain elusive until the Kuki people are granted the right to govern and administer themselves independently, free from Meiteis’ dominance.

He emphasized that the Kuki Inpi Manipur would not accept co-existence with oppression, suppression, or any forces attempting to erase the Kuki identity.

The Committee on Tribal Unity, Kangpokpi, also condemned the Pallel gunfight and deemed the appointment of retired Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam as SSP (Combat) as “illegal.” They asserted that appointing a retired Meitei Army officer as a Senior Superintendent of Police is an attempt to further the State leadership’s hidden agenda.

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The CoTU called on the Central Government to revoke the appointment to uphold the integrity of the Indian Army and warned of upcoming protests against this “illegal appointment.”

It is noteworthy to know that Nectar Sanjenbam, a retired colonel with experience in India’s surgical strike in Myanmar in 2015, has been appointed to assist the Manipur government in addressing the ongoing situation in the state. The tension in Manipur, which started on May 3, has tragically claimed over 170 lives.

The appointment was made in accordance with a cabinet decision from June 12 and was officially announced through an order issued by Manipur’s joint secretary (home) on August 28.

Nectar Sanjenbam’s distinguished service includes being a part of the 21 Para (Special Forces) and receiving prestigious awards such as the Kirti Chakra, the second-highest peacetime gallantry award, and the Shaurya Chakra, the third-highest.