Shall retaliate if provoked : DG AR
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 10 2024:
Director General Assam Rifles Lt Gen PC Nair has categorically stated that Central security forces shall retaliate in an appropriate manner if provoked or fired upon.
In view of the current escalated security situation and persistent attacks on security forces, Lt Gen PC Nair visited the border town of Moreh today.
Gen Nair was briefed at Moreh by the Sect Cdr Brig VP Yadav on the present security situation, conveyed a press release issued by the Hqs IG AR (S) .
The DG AR met with members of the civil society organizations.
The CSO leaders who attended the meeting were from the Hill Tribal Council, Kuki Students Organization, Kuki Women Union for Human Rights Moreh, Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, Tamil Sangam, Gorkha Samaj Samiti and Manipur Muslim Council.
The DG AR listened patiently to the issues of concern being faced by all the groups.
In his interaction with them, he said that Moreh is a township that is very different from the other towns in Manipur because of its cosmopolitan nature.
People from the Kuki, Meitei, Naga, Tamil, Pangal, Gorkha, Sikh and other communities have been residing for decades in peace and harmony.
The past eight months of strife that was preceded by two years of Covid has greatly affected the lives of the children and youth.
Their future is at stake and thus there is no other alternative but to shun violence, the DG added.
He further stated that all their grievances will be looked into and studied but it is for the people of Moreh particularly the women to actively act towards restoration of peace.
Sounding a note of caution, he also asked all the civil society groups to tell those moving around with weapons that the Central security forces shall retaliate in an appropriate manner if provoked or fired upon.
It is in everybody's interest to restore peace and thus everyone's responsibility to work towards it.
AR, he added, shall always live up to the sobriquet of "Friends of the North East" even in the most challenging circumstances.
The DG AR's visit was aimed at enhancing coordination amongst civil society groups and opening channels of communication between security forces and the civil society groups.
Moreh township that lies on the Indian side of Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur has seen increased violence since the last week of December 2023, it added.