New Delhi: A retired army Brigadier, who worked in Manipur at the height of insurgency decades ago, said on Wednesday that the Centre should impose President's Rule in Manipur and extend the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with 18 Kuki militant organisations.
“The law and order situation of Manipur has gone out of control. The ongoing violence in the state has already crossed the Manipur border and reached Mizoram and Nagaland. It is high time that the government must impose the President's rule in the State,” Brigadier (retd) BK Khanna said.
Brigadier Khanna was referring to a media report which said people from the Meitei community living in Mizoram have been asked by Mizo groups to leave the state for their own safety. Mizoram government, however, assured the Meitei community of providing safety in the state. Brigadier Khanna, who had earlier worked in Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, said, “The suspension of operation with different Kuki militants will at least keep the outfits confined to the ceasefire ground rules,” he said.
Khanna further said both Kukis and Meiteis are victims of ongoing ethnic violence in the state. However, the Manipur-based civil society organisation, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has appealed to the Home Ministry to cancel the suspension of operations with Kuki militant outfits.
Several Kuki militants outfits under the umbrella organisation of the United People's Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) had come into a SoO agreement with the central and state government in 2008. The COCOMI has alleged that several Kuki militant organisations, including Kuki National Front, United Socialist Revolutionary Army (USRA), United Minority Liberation Army, Zoumi Reunification Front, and Kuki Revolutionary Army are involved in the present violence against the Meiteis.
“In fact, the Kuki militants are getting support from Myanmar-based militia. Because of the India-Myanmar porous border, the militants can easily enter Manipur and indulge in terror activities,'' COCOMI spokesperson Athouba told this correspondent.
It's been more than 80 days, and the ethnic clash between Kukis and Meiteis is still going on in Manipur. It took the total death toll to more than 160 besides injuring thousands of others. The situation has further worsened following the circulation of a viral video on May 4 of two women being paraded naked by a mob. The Manipur government in an order issued on Tuesday said that mobile internet will remain suspended as there are still apprehensions about the spread of misinformation and rumours through various social media platforms, besides reports of bulk SMS for mobilisation of mobs being circulated coming. The government fears that it can cause loss of life or cause damage to property.
