Powerful statement from CM : Partisan Central forces ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 23, 2024 -

This is a powerful statement but it is still not clear whether this was said out of conviction or out of the growing pressure from the different but powerful civil society organisations.

What however is clear is that this is the first time that Chief Minister N Biren has gone public with the proclamation that the Centre has been asked to withdraw partisan Central forces, which have come to be increasingly seen as molly coddling the Kuki militants and the CSOs which have openly declared a war against Manipur.

Or could it be a case of the Chief Minister having received some encouraging signs from New Delhi to open up against the conduct of the Central security force personnel, particularly the Assam Rifles ?

Important questions and the very fact that these posers are being raised here should reflect the reality.

It is not without reason why the fingers of accusation have been raised against the Central security personnel, particularly the Assam Rifles.

One can still recall an instance of the State police engaged in a stand off with Assam Rifles personnel after their vehicle was blocked ostensibly while in pursuit of some Kuki militants.

Who or which organisation is best placed to answer how sophisticated arms like sniper rifles came into the hands of Kuki militants ?

How well placed are the Kuki militants to attack State security personnel with sophisticated arms at Moreh ?

Who is tasked with the job of guarding the Indo-Myanmar border ?

The answers to these should tell its own story, and this is where the announcement of the Chief Minister that the Centre has been asked to withdraw partisan Central forces should be seen and understood.

How did Kuki militants manage to cross the so called buffer zone sometime in the earlier part of the ongoing conflict and kill sleeping villagers, including a father-son duo at Bishnupur district ?

Whose idea was it to draw the buffer zones ?

Who is tasked with the law and order subject in the hills ?

The very fact that these questions are being raised right now should tell its own story and the public announcement of the Chief Minister should be seen and understood in the context of the questions raised right now.

Compulsion of geo-politics as understood within the context of the growing influence of China over Myanmar ?

And make Manipur the price to be paid ?

Things certainly does not look good at all, but this should not and cannot justify the price that Manipur has had to pay.

Manipur has reasons to be angry.

May 3, 2023 to January 23, 2024 and it is already more than 8 months since the violence erupted in all its ugliness.

Over 200 people have been killed on either side, thousands have been rendered homeless, hundreds of houses have been levelled to the ground and many more are still missing.

Yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not deemed it proper to even utter a word, save for the anguish he expressed when the video clip of two girls being paraded in the nude went viral on the social media.

This is one reason for the growing disenchantment with the BJP led Government at Imphal and the mounting pressure on the Chief Minister and the BJP Ministers and MLAs can only be imagined.

Yet it was no one less than Union Home Minister Amit Shah who informed Parliament that the Chief Minister is doing what ought to be done.

One hopes it is with this belief and conviction that Delhi takes the proclamation of the Chief Minister against the Central security forces that they are partisan in the present conflict.

There has to be a reason why there is a growing distrust between the people of Manipur and the Central security personnel and any Government worth its salt should have studied this from the very beginning.

Why is there the general perception that the Central security forces, particularly the Assam Rifles has given the long rope to the Kuki militants ?

How is it that sophisticated weapons such as sniper rifles are in the possession of Kuki militants ?

Or should one buy the story of ‘village volunteers’ and believe that they can wield a sniper rifle ?

What explains the use of sophisticated weapons such as RPGs against the State security personnel at Moreh ?

The Chief Minister has spoken and one hopes it does not end there but is taken forward.