Disturbed Area extension amid 'improved law and order'
AMUCO ridicules Govt's claim
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 11 2022: Following the notification declaring Manipur excluding the Imphal Municipal area as "disturbed", the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) has termed the notification as being 'outrightly' against the will and aspiration of the people.

It may be noted that a notification issued dated December 8, 2021 stated that the entire State of Manipur excluding the Imphal Municipal Area has been declared "Disturbed Area" for a period of one year with retrospective effect from December 1, 2021 .

The notification in which the State Government was of the opinion that the State is in disturbed condition due to violent activities of various extremist/insurgent groups, however came out only yesterday.

AMUCO, in a release, not only strongly reacted to the notification but also ridiculed the State Government's tall claim of "improved law and order situation" in the State.

The notification contradicts the relentless assertion of many leaders of the incumbent Government that the law and order situation has improved significantly on numerous occasions, AMUCO noted and questioned as to why the State needs to be declared "Disturbed Area" if the law and order has actually improved.

Those in power should rethink on whether they should act in their own interest by imposing a huge burden to the public, opined AMUCO while adding that such a move will upset the current generation and generations to come.

Questioning the State Government whether "Disturbed Area" tag declaration is an unavoidable and annual/Calendar programme, AMUCO stated that declaring the State as "Disturbed Area" every year without giving plausible explanation to the public is very much against the interest of the public.

The prolonged extension of the "Disturbed Area" tag clearly suggests that the State Government does not really care about the interests of the public, said AMUCO while adding that the State Government should lead by example if it really stands for the people rather than swaying them with rhetoric and tall claims.

Since, Manipur, except the Imphal Municipal area has been tagged "Disturbed Area", it will be fitting for the State Government to be addressed as the "Government of Disturbed Area".

And as such, how can a "Government of Disturbed Area" be considered a good Government, AMUCO questioned.

The Government can be considered a good one only when it can turn a "Disturbed Area" into a peaceful and progressive area, said AMUCO and added that reimposition of "Disturbed Area" tag except the 7 Assembly segments in Imphal Municipal Area has created some kind of disuniformity.

In the past few years, there have not been many instances of conflict among insurgents and armed forces in hill districts and remote areas of the State nor has there been instance of major gunfire between the two, said AMUCO questioning why there was the need for extension of "Disturbed Area" status.

It will not be much to say that those who are involved in continuously suggesting the need of declaring Manipur as "Disturbed Area", are bereft of deep knowledge about their very own birthplace, said AMUCO.

Such repeated imposition of "Disturbed Area" status for decades is nothing but constant shaming of Manipur in front of the neighbouring States and to the world while the State is actually known for its hospitality, it said.

Moreover, the hospitality of the State has even caused an influx of population from within and outside the country, which is very much an issue right now, noted AMUCO while stating that the Government's treatment of such a place is uncalled for.

The successive Governments formed by groups of incompetent representatives and their unreasonable and makeshift arrangements have been putting the State in the wrong light on multiple occasions and those who have been or are part of such Governments should not be considered leaders, said AMUCO.

AMUCO added that the recent declaration of the Government is not a positive one and the organisation will never encourage or endorse steps of the Government which are anti-people and repressive.

Prolonged imposition of "Disturbed Area" tag and the subsequent enforcement of AFSPA, 1958 has taken hundreds of innocent lives and its extension for another year only means more burden and disturbance to the public which is unacceptable, said AMUCO while earnestly appealing to the State Government to review the matter at the earliest.

Comment