Central forces dictating terms in the plains
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: May 24, 2025 -

CFs bar Bishnupur farmers from tilling fields on May 23 2025 :: Pix - Chronicle News Service

AMID the May 20 Gwaltabi incident evoking widespread condemnations from various quarters, including the Indian Journalists’ Union and other regional scribes’ bodies, against the attitude and seemingly extra-judicial conduct of the Mahar Regiment, yet another controversy has been created by a central armed force after a group of farmers from Thinungei village were prohibited from tilling their paddy fields located under Bishnupur district.

Even as the Mahar Regiment has been drawing flak from different section of the society for insisting on concealing ‘Manipur’ from a state-owned bus on May 20, troopers of a central force raised objection to farmers of Thingungei village tending to their fields on Friday.

Location of Kuki village nearby the paddy field might be the reason for the central force intervening and halting the work.

However, such interference would have been justifiable had the same central force stopped farmers of other communities from preparing their portion of the field for plantation of kharif crops.

Allowing the farmers of the other communities to continue with their livelihood activities but preventing the Meetei farmers smacks of partisanship on the part of the particular central force.

In the past too, there were multiple instances of central forces restricting the Meetei farmers from working in their own field citing safety concerns, as suspected Kuki militants periodically opened fire from the higher reaches.

Nevertheless, it is hard to digest why the central forces manning the so-called buffer zone are neither able to prevent the firing incidents nor ensure protection to the Meetei farmers.

Moreover, had the central forces assured protection to the Meetei farmers, which should be their bounden duty, instead of asking them to produce consent document from the district authorities, then the trust deficit would have been bridged to some extent.

There is no valid reason why the Meetei farmers should have the approval of the authorities when there is no such compulsion for farmers on the other side.

There is no doubt that the Thingungei incident would deepen public suspicion over commitment of the central forces in securing the life and properties of the Meetei people in the fringe villages as their insistence tantamount to obstructing livelihood activities of the Meetei while giving free hand to other communities.

With the Thinungei incident happening close on the heels of army personnel manning the Gwaltabi check post directing journalists to conceal ‘Manipur’ from windshield of the Manipur State Transport bus the scribes were travelling en-route to cover the Shirui Lily Festival, it seems that the central forces are here to stoke controversies and keep the state on the boil.

Subsequent to constitution of the a two-member enquiry committee with deadline of 15 days set to submit their findings on the Gwaltabi incident the Manipur journalists decided to resume work with effect from Thursday not because the scribes believe that the probe panel would deliver justice but to discharge their bounden duty of disseminating vital information to the masses and entertain views of the concerned stakeholders on the unwarranted attitude and conduct of the Mahar Regiment.

The commission comprising home commissioner N Ashok Kumar and information technology secretary Th Kirankumar as the members has been entrusted to investigate on what ground the Mahar Regiment personnel insisted on concealing ‘Manipur’ from the state-owned bus but the question is whether the two bureaucrats would dare to frame charges in case decision to conceal ‘Manipur’ was taken by their higher-ups or would the central government sanction prosecution of the guilty central force personnel, if any.