Imphal, March 30 2010: "A paramount duty of the police department is to maintain law and order.

The utmost responsibility of the police is to check social crimes by conducting investigations on time, arresting culprits and bringing the guilty to book as per laws.

Such laws do not, however, allow police officers and other personnel to take the laws into their own hands, misuse service weapons and powers given to them" .

This was pointed out by GM Changjou, Chief, Department of Publicity, RPF, in a press release issued today.

He said, "But this has not been the case in Manipur.

The police are misusing their power to carry out crimes, earning excess money and constructing building out of their limitation" .

The press release of the banned insurgent organisation further stated that the ruling politicians were also becoming a silent spectator regarding such matters, and instead giving promotion.

Stating that reward to those policemen makes the police department more corrupted than before, GM Changjou added that introduction of sophisticated weapons and training programmes under police modernization has made Manipur police a rough force.

If this trend continues unchecked the rough police will one day turn into a Frankenstein and they will target their masters who are giving them the powers, Changjou said in the press release.

He said, "Indian government is using the army, who are supposed to be deployed for dealing with external threats, freely in Kashmir and NE states.

However, India is not using the army in dealing with Maoists, whose tentacles are spreading like wildfires throughout the country" .

"Indian politicians and bureaucrats have been openly saying that Maoists are their brothers and opposing use of army in tackling the Maoists.

In comparison to this, the same people are supporting deployment of army in Kashmir and NE states and also persecution of Kashmiris and North Easterners," said the press release.

"At the same time, the Indian army has introduced the so-called civic action programmes as a pre-emptive move to check uprisings and protests by the oppressed people of the regions.

Are not the military civic action programmes giving some garments, organizing pilgrimages, doling out sewing machines for stitching tattered clothes and some lanterns for the parents whose sons have been murdered by the army for protesting against snatching away of their land and properties, organizing free medical camps for distributing medicines for treatment of the wounds inflicted by the army operations, repairing roads for free movements of the Indian army and developing helipads in the name of playgrounds?" asked GM Changjou in his press release.

He further charged that "Indian army is openly claiming that military civic action programmes are taken up at areas where they carry out counter insurgency operations so as to pacify the angered, hurt and the wounded.

The army first sends medical officers to nearby villages for treating local residents and then tries to be friendly with them and collect information directly or indirectly from the villagers" .

"After learning everything they start recruiting those who can provide information and know the terrains as covert agents from among the villagers.

These activities can be easily carried out by Indian army's medical officers and their nursing assistants in interior villages, where proper communication facilities do not exist," the RPF stated.

Alleging that in the name of area development, the army is using chiefs and villagers as labourers without paying them wages in construction of road and helipads by requesting or, intimidating the village chiefs, which are meant for army's easy movements, the press release stated that Commanders of concerned army units swindle large fund provided by Indian government under this development projects.

Barring some transportation facilities to the army patrol vehicles, some expiring medicines and some canteen facilities, the villagers are not benefitted by the projects, the RPF asserted.

The press release stated, "In some areas, the army skilfully takes control of the areas, makes the community to forget that the army is occupational forces and adopts the method of either persuasion or threat to bring community level armed groups into ceasefire agreements.

The army also instils in the minds of such smaller groups the false pride that they can enter into a cease-fire agreement and that they are given recognition by the government" .

It said, "For the first time in NE the army introduced such operation under the codename Operation Sahyog in Assam in January 1992 .

The objective of the programme was to gain advantage of the situation by placating the angry and resentful people of Assam and recruiting youths in Indian army.

The number of jobless youths joining Indian army is increasing by the day.

Among them there are many youths who love their motherland.

They are always prepared to act as and when the right time comes.

Some of them deserted army with arms as they could no longer bear the resentment against the army while some were murdered by Indian army before they could reach their destinations" .

GM Changjou said in the statement that the chief of army staff of Indian army is directly dealing with Manipur and Nagaland situation.

Set up under the supervision of the 3 Corps Headquarters, the Army Development Group launched Operation Good Samaritan in June 1995.The operation has two objectives.

The first is to eliminate freedom fighters and those linked to the revolutionaries and destroy their camps through overt and covert operations.

And the second objective is to take up civic action programmes to mollify people infuriated and hurt by the army operations.

"Interestingly instead of taking up the programmes honestly and sincerely, the army is indulging in cheap publicity and propaganda by claiming that roads, playgrounds, school buildings, community halls, health centres and local club halls constructed by revolutionary organisations at various places are the real works of the army.

The army is also making similar claims about various water and power supply schemes taken up by revolutionary organisations.

Whereas, the army set up their camps and posts at local club halls, school buildings, community centres and health centres.

They also forcibly move into houses to stay without paying money to the owners while they are still present in the houses or going out for works.

There are stories that in some cases the army dishonoured the sanctity of Church buildings by indulging in savagery activities," alleged the RPF in the statement.

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