UCM suspends stir after CM N Biren's assurance
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 23 2022: United Committee Manipur (UCM) has temporarily suspended its agitation against border fencing after chief minister N Biren gave assurance of halting the ongoing fencing along Indo- Myanmar border particularly in disputed areas and sent a communique in this regard to the Union home secretary on Thursday.

Informing this to media persons at its Lamphelpat office here on Thursday, UCM president Joychandra Konthoujam said that it had repeatedly apprised the state government about numerous irregularities in the border fencing from BP No 79 to 102 along Manipur-Myanmar border and called for halting the fencing work.

However, government of Manipur, BRTF and the central government remained indifferent to UCM's call and this prompted the committee to launch agitation from June 21 with the support of Meira Paibi groups and students.

As the government remained silent, the protest continued at Khurai Lamlong Keithel on Wednesday wherein one UCM volunteer and a lady scribe were injured in police action.

After being invited by government, a team of UCM held talk with CM N Biren on Wednesday evening wherein the latter asked secretary of Union home minister and BRTF officials to halt ongoing border fencing until resolution of the dispute.

When the UCM team insisted that telephonic talk between CM and Central government officials on the serious issue cannot be trusted, special secretary (home) H Gyan Prakash was made to send a communique to Union home secretary immediately and accordingly UCM decided to suspend the stir temporarily, he said, adding that UCM's demand for suspension of police officer involved in Lamlong Keithel incident too was withdrawn after learning that the police officer is to retire soon.

According to Joychandra, UCM will visit the disputed site at border to ascertain if the assurance given by the CM on halting fencing work has been translated into action or not and more intense agitation will follow if the fencing work happens to continue.

He also said that UCM will not remain silent even if the state government has sent a communique to Central government while insisting that state government must mount intense pressure on the Centre for resolving the dispute at the earliest.

Joychandra maintained that politicisation of border issue cannot be accepted and government must present a clear picture of the dispute to the people.

While maintaining that UCM was formed to safeguard Manipur's integrity and boundary, Joychandra Konthoujam said that UCM and people will continue to work together and launch protest to safeguard Manipur's territory at any cost.

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