In Manipur, security forces must be empowered to bring peace

This escalation was a continuation of the June onslaught connected Vengnuam Dibong Khunou, a elevation tribes colony wherever respective houses and a religion were burnt down and a antheral was kidnapped by the Arambai Tenggol. Houses were burnt down astatine Zairawn colony successful aboriginal October, wherever a parent of 3 from a Hmar people was killed.

This whitethorn not beryllium the effect of the replacement of the Assam Rifles by the CRPF but 1 does wonderment astir it. The Assam Rifles were doing good since the opening of the unit successful guarding and maintaining the buffer portion that was established aft the speech of colonisation and segregation connected taste lines. But the valley-based CSOs did not admit their ratio successful not letting valley-based militants infiltrate the hills, truthful they demanded they beryllium replaced by the CRPF. The elevation tribes protested against it, but to nary avail. They feared that the CRPF would beryllium utilized successful the aforesaid mode the constabulary commandos were utilized to interruption done the colony defence and let infiltration beyond the buffer zones. Immediately aft the November 11 unit betwixt the constabulary and the Hmars, determination was a caller order, however, from the Ministry of Home Affairs for the deployment of much companies of CAPFs (CRPF-159 Ex-Assam) & BSF-05 (Ex-Tripura).

There is crushed to beryllium sceptical astir the sincerity of the authorities and the cardinal authorities successful bringing bid arsenic the information forces were ne'er empowered to bring normalcy. Instead, galore compromises person been made, specified arsenic the handing implicit of arrested cadres from violent organisations specified arsenic KYKL, including their person Uttam, to section leaders successful June past year.

The caller escalation of unit raises definite pertinent questions: Is it that the Government of India (GoI) is looking astatine the root of unit successful the incorrect place? Is the inaction of the Government of Manipur encouraging Meitei militants, including the Arambai Tenggol?

Manipur’s MLAs person taken definite resolutions connected November 18. One is for the cardinal authorities to reappraisal the hold of AFSPA successful the vale districts. They besides resolved to commencement a wide cognition against militants liable for the sidesplitting of six guiltless women and children.

It is imperative that the GoI avoids deploying information unit belonging to section communities truthful that determination is nary struggle of interest. This is important for gathering spot and preventing further escalation of violence. Instead, it should beryllium ensured that everyone is confined to their designated areas and restricted from crossing the buffer portion until the Centre comes up with a solution to bring peace.

The writer is professor, Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad.