Fence border call raised in affidavits
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 04 2024:
Highlighting the failure of State machinery and intelligence in controlling Meetei-Kuki clash and expressing common desire for the Government to fence Indo-Myanmar border, the State units of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) have submitted affidavits to the Commission of Inquiry (Manipur Violence), today.
The affidavits were submitted through Imphal West District Magistrate by CPI (M), Manipur secretary Kshetrimayum Santa and Shiv Sena (UT) Manipur president Toijam Devanand.
Speaking to the media later at Manipur Press Club, Ksh Santa said that their affidavit shared the chronology of events pertaining to Manipur violence, causes of the conflict and on whom the responsibility must be fixed for the violence.
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He said that some other alliance partners of the 10 parties bloc have also submitted their respective affidavits to the Commission constituted following the direction of the Supreme Court.
Saying that the CPI (M) highlighted the suffering of the people caused by the failure of the Government to enforce law and order uniformly, Santa said that the failure of the State machinery and intelligence in controlling the violence has been accepted by the Chief Minister himself.
The affidavit of CPI (M) has 37 pages.
He said that many news items on Manipur violence were enclosed in the affidavit along with the report on displacement of thousands of people, attack on villages, the deaths of over 200 people and the prevailing situation at sensitive areas.
Saying that Chief Minister N Biren Singh speaking of reimposing AFSPA in Manipur's valley in the aftermath of the Lilong tragedy sounds more like an intimidation and was condemnable, Santa said that the violence in Manipur may not have taken place in the first place had the Government taken up pre-emptive measure.
T Devanand, on the other hand, said there is no sign of peace in Manipur despite the Government singing in a different tune.
There is no respite from gun violence, militants' attacks even though the violence has entered nine months, he said.
Saying that ending the violence wouldn't be that difficult if the Centre and the State Government show some commitment, Devanand said that the double engine Government, unfortunately, have been putting the entire blame on the previous Government instead of discharging their responsibility.
Claiming that the BJP Government is out of tune, he urged the Centre and Manipur to stop blaming the previous Government and do what needs to be done.
The Chief Minister ought to know he was a Cabinet Minister in the previous Government which he often refers to, he said and added that the border fencing work would have been completed by now had the BJP at the Centre and the State implemented the project some years earlier.
He appealed to the Government to use all their might and restore normalcy in the State.