Moreh aftermath : Voices of dissent surface
Why Central forces sent instead of State forces : BJP MLAs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 19 2024:
Aggrieved by the way the BJP Governments of the Centre and the State have been handling the nine months old Manipur crisis, some BJP MLAs have raised voices of dissent.
The BJP MLAs have expressed strong resentment against sending additional Central paramilitary forces to Moreh in place of State forces with more advanced weapons and vehicles.
Notably, Kuki terrorists have been selectively attacking only State forces in the border town.
Some BJP MLAs told The Sangai Express that the people of Manipur want deployment of additional State forces in Moreh in order to safeguard Manipur from the acts of terrorism unleashed by Kuki militants and narco-terrorists who infiltrated from Myanmar.
On the contrary, Kukis desire deployment of more Central forces in place of State forces.
As desired by the Kukis, the Government has been sending only Central forces to Moreh.
As the Central forces are not authorised to drive out or neutralise the Kuki militants, deployment of additional Central forces would not serve any meaningful purpose, said the BJP MLAs.
In the aftermath of the killing of a police officer last year followed by the recent killing of two police personnel by Kuki terrorists at Moreh, the Government has been sending additional forces by helicopter but all these forces are BSF and CRPF personnel.
As the Central paramilitary forces have always been soft and inactive against the Kuki terrorists, Kukis did not pose any hurdle to the movement of Central security forces, said the BJP MLAs.
They maintained that deployment of additional Central security forces at Moreh in place of State forces is highly undesirable even if it was done at the instruction of the Centre.
When the Chief Minister was requested to send in additional State forces to Moreh, the Chief Minister stated that additional State forces were being sent in.
However, State forces already deployed in the border town informed that no additional State forces have been sent, said the BJP MLAs.
Although it was said that some vehicles of Special Commandos have been sent to Moreh, there are reports that the vehicles have been sent to Kamjong police station.
While the war was fought at Moreh, commandos were sent to Kamjong, they decried.
They went on to ask if the commandos would reach Moreh from Kamjong through Myanmar.
They further asked if there is any problem in letting the State forces take on the Kuki terrorists.
The Government of India has been approached repeatedly but New Delhi has been paying no attention.
As New Delhi has shown no interest to protect Meiteis from the Kuki terrorists, it is the responsibility of the elected representatives to protect the citizens, they said.
Meiteis are being attacked and killed on daily basis.
Large groups of Chin-Kuki terrorists who infiltrated into Manipur from Myanmar have been persistently attacking Meitei villages using sophisticated and powerful weapons, the BJP MLAs noted.
They asked if the Government must wait for more Meiteis to be massacred.
Assam Rifles, BSF and CRPF have strong presence in Moreh but they have been keeping their hands tied on the ground that they have not received any order from the Government of India to take up any action against Kuki terrorists.
What is the point of sending additional Central forces when the Central forces already deployed there were acting as mute spectators to the all-out war waged by Kuki terrorists against State forces, the aggrieved BJP MLAs asked.
Instead of sending Central forces who would be of no use, adequate strength of State security forces must be sent to Moreh with enough arms, ammunition and bullet-proof vehicles, they asserted.
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