Moreh can't be controlled by single community: GOC
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 16 2024:
Stressing that a cosmopolitan border town Moreh cannot be controlled by a single community, Indian Army's General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari has said that all communities should live together in Moreh by bringing peace and ending the present violence.
GOC RC Tiwari, who visited Moreh on Friday to assess security situation in the border town, met community leaders and people at IB Moreh.
The meeting was also attended by 3 Corps commander Lt Gen Harjeet Singh Sahi, IGAR (S) Maj Gen Ravroop Singh, 26 Sector AR commander Brig Vedpal and top officers of Assam Rifles.
DC and SP of Tengnoupal district were also present during the meeting attended as well by leaders of Moreh-based civil organisations like Kuki Inpi, HTC, Kuki Women Union and Human Rights, Kuki Chiefs Association, Gorkha Union, Manipur Muslim Union, Chamber of Commerce Moreh and Tamil Sangam.
During meeting which began from 1pm, leaders of Kuki Inpi Moreh demanded immediate removal of Manipur police commandos from Moreh and revocation of government of India's decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and suspension of the FMR.
They also demanded inclusion of Thadou language in all sign boards in government offices and banks in Tengnoupal district as representatives of other communities settling in the border town proposed lifting of curfew to allow schools to reopen and enable students attend normal class.
They also demanded resumption of trade activities as Moreh is a commercial border town though normalcy is yet to return.
After patient hearing of complaints from community leaders, GOC Lt Gen RC Tiwari told Kuki Inpi leaders that the Meeteis cannot be denied settlement in the border town as it is a cosmopolitan town.
How could peace prevail in the border town without the Meeteis? he posed, while observing that peace cannot be imposed as it should come out from the heart.
While stating that India is made up of different communities and religions and all are living together in harmony, Lt Gen RC Tiwari reminded the Kuki Inpi leaders that all communities should live together with harmony in Moreh like before and no community who lived in the town earlier denied settlement.
He then advised the Kuki Inpi leaders to live together with other communities in peace and harmony without allowing any unfortunate incident to take place with the spirit of 'past is past'.
Moreh, being a strategic town for India's Act East Policy, all the communities settling in the town must put collective efforts to bring development in the commercial border town, he maintained, while stressing that Moreh being a cosmopolitan border town cannot be controlled by a single community.
Lt Gen RC Tiwari also warned of taking necessary action from the side of security forces if anyone disturbs or opposes initiatives taken to bring back peace and normalcy by security
forces in Moreh.