The Khaki's Hill Visit

Thanreingam Muivah *

At times when the State is in bedlam due to constant killings that occur on daily basis with most of the cases allegedly involving excesses of security forces, the Cabinet decision to deploy Commando and IRB personnel in the hill districts has sparked off umpteen doubts.

Is the SPF-led Government trying to convert Manipur into a police State? Is such initiative a sinister game plan of SPF-led Government to sabotage the movement for revocation of AFSPA and withdrawal of troops from the State?

The anguish of public pertaining to especially alleged fake-encounters, sometimes resulting in the most intense form of agitation, has drawn the attention of every right thinking individuals of the State.

"Stop using IRB/Cdo to kill innocent civilians," "Stop State sponsored terrorism in the hill districts," "We don't want indisciplined armed forces," "There is no law and order problem in the hill districts," "Hill districts of Manipur are land of peace," "O Ibobi Govt, don't disturb peace," "Repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act," etc. These are the slogans of rallyists who recently thronged the streets of hill districts demanding revocation of Cabinet decision to deploy Commando and IRB personnel in the hill districts of Manipur.

Having a dig at these slogans, we can easily read the mind of hill people that they are too suspicious of the motive behind the steps of the State Government to deploy armed personnel in the hill areas, with whatever reasons the decision might have been taken for such initiative although.

Through the rallies, some of which are said to be the biggest ones ever held in the hills, the people have boldly claimed that there is no such law and order problem in the hill areas in absolute contrast to the allegation made by the State Government.

In the slogans there is also an expression of people's regret over the unfortunate incidents that have claimed several lives in the past, especially in the valley region, in cases involving the alleged excesses of security forces.

Now, would SPF-led Government ever retract its decision to deploy armed personnel in view of the people's hue and cry that is likely to be intensified in the near future? Through the use of force would the Government proceed to push its decision through? These are questions that may be left with the conscience of our Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh who also holds the home portfolio of the State.

Whatever may be the foreseen outcome of Cabinet decision and the protest against it, at the moment what should be brought into full public view is the valid contention of deploying those armed personnel who are unfortunately branded as 'indisciplined forces' by the people whose protection is otherwise apparently sought.

In other words, what makes the Chief Minister so concerned about militarising the hill areas after he had himself witnessed the untold miseries that had taken place right under his nose as the result of conferring blanket powers to armed personnel, is a question that should not be easily swept aside at this moment when the movement to denounce the use of force in the hill areas has already gained momentum.

Manipur, as a land which is best known by its people who do not hesitate to indulge themselves even into the most intense form of agitation, it is not hard to imagine the 'resorts' that would be taken up in the hands of the people who have tooth and nail been resisting such steps to deploy Cdos and IRBs in the hill districts where the existing men in uniform are felt to be adequate.

It is therefore pertinent to point out that on the sidelines of the public's strong resistance, which is deeply rooted with the apprehension of turning their land into a police State, the mere 'law and order problem' as an excuse (without a convincing yardstick) may not be able to articulate the State authority's plan into action. SPF Government needs to put on its thinking cap and focus on other areas instead of sticking itself to something which is too temporary in its outlook.

The writer would rather suggest the State authority to ensure that Constitutional rights of the hill people is not kept further in abeyance in the first place to prove its existence along the line of the 'people'. Instead of wasting time in initiating what goes against the will of the public it represents, the State Government should pull up its socks and be ready to conduct elections to ADC in the interest of the people.

For reasons known and unknown Elections to the district councils have been pending for about 20 years now. To be precise, the hill people in the State have spent this long spell without a 'father figure', the only figure who could make their grievances known.

It is also hard to estimate the losses incurred in terms of human resources and deprivation of the tribal's Constitutional rights due to suspension of ADC elections elongated from six months to 20 years today. While unsurprisingly there is a partial functioning of ADC with CEO as assistant to the DC, where the latter acts as ex-officio chairman of the ADC.

It is also felt that despite pressure from the Government of India, the State Government's reluctance to hold elections of district councils is because of the State authority's intension to derail a system of self-governance in the hill areas.

Had elections been conducted in time as assured by the State Government itself nine months ago after it was officially ordered by the Government of India, the concerned Councillors would have taken care of every aspect of life in the hill areas and prevented the Govt from being dragged itself into so much troubles as it is currently witnessed.

The president of Indigenous Democratic Front, a pressure group formed to evolve a democratic system of self governance based on indigenous democracy, has rightly asserted that there is a need to re-instate the age old tribal values conducive to the changing scientific temperament and labelled 'Elections to ADC' as the mother of all issues for the tribal people in the State.

The president also alleged the "hotch-potch Indian-Anglo culture" as instrumental to the decadent of the tribal society. When the feeling of discontent over alleged unequal distribution of wealth raises its neck high again, it would be a noble drive for SPF-Government to hand over the official letter of conducting ADC elections to the chairman of Hill Areas Committee and take the trouble of ensuring a free and fair elections in the hill districts removing its Khaki outfit.