Imphal, March 30 2010: Accusing both police and military personnel of taking law into their hands and committing all kinds of excesses, the proscribed Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) has denounced alleged duplicity of central paramilitary forces while cautioning against the possible situation of police personnel becoming uncontrollable.

In a statement issued by it's Department of Publicity Chief GM Changjou, the outfit noted that the paramount duty of the Police Department is to maintain law and order.

But no laws allow police officers and other personnel to take the laws into their own hands, misuse service weapons and powers given to them.

However, in Manipur, the police are misusing their power to carry out crimes and amass personal wealth.

The ruling politicians are directly abetting such disturbing trends by giving promotion and rewards to those policemen who abused power to the maximum thereby making the Police Department more corrupted than before.

In addition to this, introduction of sophisticated weapons and training programmes in the name of 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, the outfit cautioned.

Though it is said that the army should be deployed for dealing with external threats, the Government of India has been deploying its army freely in Kashmir and Northeastern 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 alleged persecution of Kashmiris and North Easterners, the outfit pointed out.

On the other hand, the 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.

The RPF alleged that acts like free medical camps organised under military civic action programmes were for treatment of the wounds inflicted by the army operations.

Likewise, repairing/making roads were for easy movement of military personnel.

Under the same programme, the military forces have been developing helipads in the name of playgrounds.

Indian army has been 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.

It further accused the army of 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.

Commanders of concerned army units have been swindling large amounts of fund provided by New Delhi under these projects.

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

In some cases, the army skilfully took control of civilian areas, deceiving the local people to think that they (army) are not alien forces.

The army adopted the method of either persuasion or threat to bring community level armed groups into cease-fire agreements.

By bringing these smaller groups into cease-fire agreement, the army created the notion of giving recognition by the Government.

For the first time in North East, the army introduced such operation under the code named 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.

Though the number of jobless youths joining army is increasing by the day, many of them 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" the RPF asserted.

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 as their real works.

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

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

They also forcibly moved into houses to stay without paying money to the owners.

There have been reports of the army dishonouring the sanctity of church buildings by indulging in savage activities, it alleged.

Comment