Manipur BJP MLA urges Amit Shah to withdraw 60K central forces from state

Imphal: A day after two persons were killed and 10 others were injured in an attack by suspected Kuki militants in Imphal West District, influential BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh on Monday requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw 60,000 central forces from the state claiming “they are not yielding peace”.

Singh, who’s the son-in-law of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, wrote to the Home Minister stating that the presence of around 60,000 central forces in Manipur “is not yielding peace, thus it’s better to remove such forces who are mostly present as mute spectators”.

“We are pleased with the action to remove certain units of Assam Rifles who were not cooperating with the state government and the public, but if the presence of central forces cannot stop the violence, it is better to remove them and allow the state forces to take charge and bring peace in Manipur,” the MLA said in the letter.

Noting that the Central government has to take more stringent measures against armed militant/insurgent groups, the lawmaker said the militants violated the ground rules of Suspension of Operation (SoO).

The Home Ministry has to abrogate the SoO pact against these groups who are constantly spreading violence, said Singh, a three-term MLA from Sagolband Assembly constituency in Imphal West district.

A total of 23 underground outfits under two conglomerates – eight under United Peoples’ Front (UPF) and 15 under Kuki National Organisation (KNO) – signed the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the government of India in August 2008.

Demanding to investigate the fundings and supply of arms and ammunition to the militant outfits, Singh said, “Earlier also I said that a mere ethnic conflict should not last for such a long time, but it has continued to for nearly a year-and-a-half due to the support and supply of illegal arms and ammunition. One has to act and stop these supplies immediately to halt all kinds of violence in the state.”

“The militants are constantly spreading terror in the state,” he added.

The Central government has to hand over the unified command to the state government headed by the Chief Minister and allow it to act as per the procedures prescribed by law to bring peace and normalcy in the state, Singh said, adding that the present set up is not able to prevent violence.

The BJP MLA also demanded the Centre to initiate political dialogue and engagement between all the stakeholders at the earliest to bring to a permanent and peaceful solution to the ethnic crisis in Maniour.

This process may take some time but it has to be initiated at the earliest, he added.

Soon after the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 last year, the Central government appointed former Director General of CRPF, Kuldiep Singh, as the Chief Security Advisor to the Manipur government.

The Manipur government also changed the Director General of Police and appointed senior IPS officer Rajiv Singh as state police chief following consultation with the Union Home Ministry.

Singh was the Additional Director General of Police in Tripura.

On Sunday, suspected Kuki militants gunned down two persons, including a 32-year-old woman, and injured 10 others, including the victim woman’s 8-year-old daughter, at Koutruk village in Imphal West district.

The Manipur Home Department in a statement said that the militants attacked the unarmed villagers using drones, bombs and many sophisticated weapons.

Combined security forces comprising Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and Manipur Police Commandos continued their joint combing operations on Monday in Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts.

IANS