Imphal, July 21 2009: Chairman of Kuki People's Forum (KPF) Yangkhopao Haokip has said that deploying state forces in the hill districts where complete tranquility prevails now is just like rice being mixed with poison.

During a press meet held today at the office of KPF located at Sahumphai village near Sugnu in Chandel district, chairman Yangkhopao Haokip said that though the hill districts in Manipur were trouble-torn once, now-a-days there is complete peace.

"When there were a lot of troubles, we repeatedly requested the government to deploy Manipur police commandos, IRB, etc in the hills.

But the government did not listen to us.

Now the cabinet has taken a decision to deploy the same force in the hills, which we can never subscribe to.

Deploying state forces in the hills is just like rice being mixed with poison," he said.

He further said that during the period between 2003 and 2006, there was solid tension in the hills.

Many civil society organisations of the hills had again and again requested the government to deploy police commandos and IRB in the hills to protect the people.

But the government had refused to send the state forces to the hills on the ground that it would not be convenient for the state forces to be deployed there, the KPF chairman recalled.

He said, since several Kuki UG groups have signed Suspension of Operations (SoO), now complete peace prevails in the Kuki areas.

What are needed in the hills now are holding of democratic elections of the Autonomous District Councils (ADC) and enforcing the Sixth Schedule in the hill areas, not the deployment of IRB and police commandos, Haokip said.

The MLAs elected from the hill constituencies are deprived of their power to speak in the assembly and the responsibility of development of hills has been given to those from the valley who do not know anything about the hills, the KPF chairman alleged and added that it has resulted in the failure of administration in the hills.

He also said that if there is administration failure even after the ADCs are allowed to function and the Sixth Schedule is enforce in the hills, let the government do away with the two.

Advisor of KPF Ngamkhuthem Mate said, there is no point in deploying the IRB and police commandos in the hills, who can't maintain law and order even in Imphal areas.

The people of the hills have got used to having the central forces deployed in their areas.

He also said, if the state forces demonstrate their same performance in the hills that they are displaying in the valley, the tribal people who can't speak Manipuri language will face extreme hardships.

The farmers can't even go to the fields to cultivate.

However, the tribals will never object to any development project being taken up by the government in the hills.

But any attempt to disturb peace will not be tolerated, he said.

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