Imphal, August 18: Taking serious note of State Government's attempt to scuffle the outcry of the antagonized people with arrest of leaders of 32 organizations spearheading the ongoing movement the United Committee Manipur cautioned that use of blatant force would only backfire.

Informing that some of its leaders have been arrested by security force as part of the Government's polity to subdue the current agitation UCM said the use of force would never solve the sensitive problem as the people have been suffering uncountable miseries due to imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

The State Government's policy to arrest members and leaders of agitating organizations is unreasonable and illogical as the same authorities had used force to disperse demonstrators when the people pursued mass court arrest movement, asserted the UCM.

UCM also flayed the State Government for attempting to project the agitations as being instigated by underground organization/s as the people have been demanding scrapping of AFSPA due to abuse of power conferred to security force personnel.

The custodial death of Thangjam Manorama Devi resulting in the current wave of agitations is only one of several similar cases that constrained the State masses to rise up against the repressive Act as level of human tolerance have been breached, stated the UCM in a press release.

It should be taken into account thai the current movement have entered a critical stage where use of excesses force could only aggravate the situation, it said while adding that the movement is for a better and secured future of people of the entire North East region.

The commitment of UCM to remove AFSPA cannot be dampened by the arrest of its leaders as the Committee has been endorsing and siding with the 32 organizations with the sole intention of discarding the draconian law from the entire region.

Withdrawal of the ongoing movement could be considered if only the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh can proof that no atrocities have been committed against innocent civilians since imposition of AFSPA, there is no case of forced disappearance of even Students, no women raped or several others killed in fake encounters.

It is ironic that the Chief Minister himself who had on various occasions pledged to initiate for withdrawal of AFSPA from Manipur is today making a u-turn from the issue instead of trying to listen to the genuine resentment of the people on further prolonging the repressive Act, deplored the UCM.

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