New Delhi: Days after the imposition of President’s rule in strife torn Manipur, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday gave a clarion call to all communities, particularly the youth in the valley and ills to voluntarily come forward and surrender looted and illegally held weapons and ammunition to the nearest police station or face action.
Giving a deadline of seven days, Bhalla said, “I sincerely request the people of all communities, particularly the youth in the valley and ills, to voluntarily come forward and surrender looted and illegally held weapons and ammunition to the nearest police station/outpost/security forces camp within the next seven days, with effect from today. Your single act of returning these weapons can be a powerful gesture towards ensuring peace. I want to assure you that no punitive action would be initiated if such weapons are returned within the stipulated time. Thereafter, strict action will be taken for possession of such weapons.”
Stating that people of Manipur, both in valley and hills, have suffered immense hardship for the last over 20 months due to a series of unfortunate incidents affecting peace and communal harmony, Bhalla said, “In the greater interest of restoring normalcy, so that people can return to their normal day-to-day activities, all communities in the state must come forward to ensure cessation of hostilities and maintenance of peace & order in the society.” Bhalla said the government is committed to ensuring a peaceful resolution of the situation and safeguarding the future of our youth. “Let us rebuild our state together with hope and trust for a brighter future. Come forward and choose peace,” he said. Approximately 6,000 firearms were looted from police armouries and stations in the aftermath of the violence that broke out on May 3, 2023 in Manipur.
Although security forces have recovered a few, a major portion of looted arms and ammunition are still untraceable. Meanwhile, a delegation of Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed to him to visit Manipur. Giving an open Invitation to Modi, the DMCC in its memorandum urged the Prime Minister to visit Manipur during his upcoming trip to Guwahati for Assam Advantage 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit on February 24-25. “The invitation was extended on behalf of all victims—Meitei and Kuki alike—to highlight the ongoing crisis and security concerns in the state,” DMCC coordinator Sriram Rojesh told ETV Bharat. Furthermore, DMCC has demanded the removal of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Security Advisor and the Chairperson of the Unified Command of Manipur Kuldeip Singh, citing their failure to effectively manage the situation in Manipur.
