Disturbing the disturbed area

Free Thinker *

An officer of high integrity enquired - what is the problem to re-invoke AFSPA in all the areas of the State to control violence and misuse of weapons. Reply was - could you maintain peace and normalcy in the hills where AFSPA remains imposed incessantly? Then, what is the solution? -he countered.

Let the people handle their own destiny. Withdraw all Forces and station them at the borders to cease the to and fro movement. Give a free hand to both sides - let them kill one another till the last bullet is fired. It will serve two national purposes - demographic stabilization and effective control of insurgency & terrorism without sacrificing a single soldier. Peace will return in 6 months - few lacs will become fallen heroes. That’s all. The officer said, that is nasty though pragmatic.

People in the State of Manipur are in a state of shock and surprises since May 2023. Majority of the people both in the hills or the valley are completely stunned by the horrific incidents and violent occurrences in many nook and corner of the State. The bloodshed still continues - everyone has become frustrated and insane.

The Jiri MLA openly says that he has not been asked to do anything in the area. He is the elected representative of the area; he has the responsibility to take care of the well being of the citizens there. I don’t think he needs any instruction or order to do something in his constituency to restore peace and normalcy. We understand the volatile situation there but leader should not be afraid of doing impartial things in good faith.

Many leaders including the Inner MP criticize the reimposition of AFSPA in some parts of the Valley. Though law and order is State subject - when the situation remains tense and continuously volatile for more than 17 months - the Centre has to think twice as per the inputs from the ‘agencies’ working at the ground level.

It won’t be surprised that the entire State is once again declared as disturbed and invoke AFSPA. Army, BSF, CRPF and other forces are now working overtime to see the situation under control. They have now realized that Manipur situation is not merely a local law and order issue and merely an ethnic strife but something to do with ‘deep states’.

Few journalists and observers from the very beginning have been murmuring that this is not merely a conflict between two ethnic communities. Some hidden hands are behind the conflagration for a purpose.

Bangladesh has tumbled and uncontrollable arms struggle persists in Myanmar - now the missing link is found. The linkage has been confirmed by the Mizoram Chief Minister in the United States. His open statement saying that his people are forced to live apart in three countries - talks about their unity. Now, the cat is out of the bag and a godly angle is also manifested.

In the beginning we were not very suspicious of any involvement of foreign hand in the skirmishes that were taking place. A deliberate propagation and sponsorship becomes evident only when the same bloody trend continues for months together. The first few days could be a knee-jerk reaction from both sides.

It is extremely difficult to bring out concrete evidences for the involvement of ‘deep states’; but the unending supply of arms, ammunition, money and manpower is proven by the unending firings and bold & continuous violence. Again the reactions from British Parliament,

American Congress and from European Parliament proved that a kind of international net-work has been working to globalize the situation and malign Bharat.

Many thousands are still in the relief camps. They now desire to die in their own homes. The Administration is not allowing them to return to their original places mainly due to security reasons. They want to go back to Churachandpur, Moreh and Senapati.

Hundreds of Kuki-Zo elites who ran away from Imphal are perhaps eager to come back though they are still apprehensive of their safety and security. The leaders have stated in private that if they come to Imphal their second homes in their constituencies will be burnt by the radical elements of their own community.

Let the Army, BSF and other Security forces secure the Indo-Myanmar border before the fencing is done, which will take few more years to complete. And give the State the ‘disturbed area’ status- facilitating easy combing operations for retrieving arms and ammunitions which are widely in circulation.

Those insurgents who are negotiating with the Government must also surrender all their bullets and bombs (guns they may keep) for the time being. As long as firearms are in public domain there will be no peace.

Everyone has seen cow-boys of the Wild West, where guns trigger killings unabated. We have also witnessed the Talibans in Afghanistan. Myanmar is having the same problem - their Military Junta and various Rebel/Resist-ance groups are fighting endlessly - with sponsorships from outside.

We, fools are doing the ditto. But kindly fight between the combatants or militias (women, children and innocent people should be spared) and bargain for futuristic things - for instance - FMR must be restored at least in 6 Gates/Entries at the Indo-Myanmar (along the 1643 km long fencing) border with proper documentation.