Prioritise fencing in Kuki areas, protect traditional boundary: UCM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 19 2024: Strongly decrying the central government's decision to keep on hold border fencing work in Kuki settlements, United Committee Manipur (UCM) has demanded the Central government to prioritise the fencing in Kuki inhabited areas, especially along the border with Sagaing and Chin state in Myanmar.

Addressing a press meet at its office, here, on Thursday, UCM president YK Dhiren welcomed sanctioning of Rs 31,000 crore for fencing the entire 1,643 km Indo-Myanmar border, as stated by union home minister Amit Shah.

However, UCM advised the Central government to ensure that the fencing project does affect traditional boundary of Manipur as had been the case in the past.

On behalf of the UCM, Dhiren also commended remark of the union home minister, who held illegal immigrants and narco-traders as some root causes for the conflict, and decision to scrap FMR.

However, it is very unfortunate that the Centre is delaying border fencing work in Kuki inhabited areas in-spite of being aware about implications of keeping the border porous in these areas.

UCM highly condemns such policy, he said and added that such a move by the Centre deepens suspicions about actual agenda behind the border fencing work.

Leaving aside the core problem areas while taking up.

border fencing elsewhere lacks logic, he said, and demanded that the Centre prioritise fencing in Kuki inhabited areas as sealing the border in these most vulnerable border belt would pave way for resolving the crisis.

The president also demanded the Centre focus on border areas with Myanmar's Chin state and Sagaing region and asked the Centre to refrain from being double standard in dealing with the crisis in Manipur.

Chipping in, UCM secretary Nahakpam Shanta said that one political party seems to be overjoyed over the mere announcement of border fencing while there are still many issues concerning the fencing work itself.

Though the Central government claimed of completing border fencing work on 30 km long stretch in Manipur, public are convinced that only 10 km stretch has been fenced till date.

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