Imphal, Feb 22 Manipur’s major Meitei community's apex body, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), on Saturday urged Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to initiate formal engagement with local youth leaders to ensure a cooperative approach in recovering arms from civilian volunteers, avoiding any hasty or forceful actions in the process.
The COCOMI also appealed that no legal action be taken against civilian volunteers who were compelled to defend their communities.
The Meitei body Convenor (Information and Public Relations) Laikhuram Jayanta said that the return of looted arms is a necessary step under the law of the land but it is imperative to recognise the circumstances that led local youth to take up arms and loot weapons.
“This situation arose due to the incompetence of the government’s security forces, which failed to protect vulnerable villages at the peak of the crisis. The terror threat remains, as there has been no official or formal declaration of the withdrawal of armed Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist groups that continue to operate in the hill areas of Manipur with impunity from the central government under the deceptive pact called Suspension of Operation (SoO),” Jayanta told the media.
He said that the 7-day period for surrendering arms is too short for meaningful engagement with stakeholders and the public.
“An extension of more time would allow for better public understanding and cooperation, helping to prevent any misunderstanding or resistance. However, the aggressive stance taken by central security forces on Friday at many parts in the valley areas, violating even the timeline set by the Governor, has raised serious concerns among the people.”
Various security forces in Manipur during a massive crackdown against the arms cadres on Friday detained 26 cadres of the Meitei radical group ‘Arambai Tengol’ but later released them after the verification of their identity.
The Meitei leader said: “This disregard for the Governor’s directive has created widespread doubt among the people. Why are the central forces not adhering to the Governor’s instructions? Why are they displaying hostility towards local youth instead of following the official directive? Such actions have led to growing mistrust within the community,” they said.
The COCOMI said that the process of arms confiscation should not be limited to the looted weapons alone, it must also extend to the unaccounted number of illegal arms smuggled across the border and “used by Kuki armed groups” operating under the so-called Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the government of India.
Transparency is crucial, reports on the confiscation of arms from the hills must be made public to ensure a rational and fair approach, the Meitei body said and noted that the people of Manipur seek assurance from the Governor and relevant authorities that all armed Kuki militant camps under Suspension of Operation (SoO) in the hill areas be shifted to other locations so that the law and order are fully restored.
“The government must come up with a concrete, foolproof plan to secure villages, instil a sense of safety among villagers and their volunteers, and provide a firm guarantee that no further attacks would take place,” the COCOMI said. T
he COCOMI earlier strongly opposed the promulgation of the President’s Rule in Manipur and urged the Governor to install a new government to resolve the ethnic crisis at the earliest.
--IANS
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