Shah vows to protect territorial integrity, mum on SO deal
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 30 2023:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured that the territorial integrity of Mani-pur will not be distorted at all but gave no commitment on whether or not the Suspension of Operation (So0) agreement signed with Kuki militants by the central and state govern-ments would be withdrawn.
On the second day of his state visit, Amit Shah met represen-tatives of civil society organisa-tions (CSOtand student organ-isations at the CM secretariat on Tuesday wherein he reiterated the commitment made eight years ago to protect the territo-rial integrity of Manipur.
After meeting Amit Shah, AMUCO president Ph Nando Luwang told media persons in front of the CM secretariat that the Union home minister took suggestions from CSOs and stu-dent organisations on how to bring back peace and normalcy in the state.
From the side of AMUCO, a memorandum was submitted and made clear to Amit Shah that So0 pact was initiated by the government of India to bring peace but the agreement is contradictory to what the government expect-ed.
Apart from apprising that So0 pact has not brought peace and Kuki militants are attacking unarmed civilians, Amit Shah was urged to withdraw from the peace deal in the interest of the people as there will be no peace in the state until its withdrawal.
However, Amit Shah did not utter a word about withdrawal or continuation of SoO, Nando said.
According to the AMUCO president, Amit Shah talked about steps being taken to iden-tify illegal immigrants with use of biometric and other identifi-cation and documentation pro-cess when CSO leaders proposed update of NRC in the state.
However, the home minister confided to the CSO leaders that poppy plantation is a big issue being faced by BJP and the gov - eminent at present.
Meanwhile, Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) working president retired Col Laishram Lokendra told media persons that Amit Shah appealed to CSO leaders to work towards bringing back peace and return of the arms snatched from security forc-es.
However, STDCM made it clear to Amit Shah that civil-ians were compelled to take up arms for self-defence after Kuki militants carried out series of attacks on foothill villages even though the communal violence which broke out of emotion on May 3 and 4 had subsided.
In this regard, Amit Shah told CSO leaders that central forces are deployed to prevent such attacks, Lokendra added.
Committee on Peaceful Co-Existence Manipur (CPCM) spokesperson Abdulah Phun - dreimayum, who also met Amit Shah, told media persons that the committee submitted a memorandum regarding the present crisis and apprised the home minister about possible food crisis in the state as trans-portation of essentials through national highways have stopped.
The committee also apprised the home minister about the commitment of Meetei Pangal to protect the territorial integ-rity and administrative integ-rity of Manipur, he said adding that Amit Shah assured that there will be no food shortage in the state and central forces will work without any bias and protect all civilians.
Forum for Restoration of Peace convener Ashang Kasar also told media persons af-ter meeting Amit Shah that there is no wrong when a community raised a demand under the Constitution but should not wage war or use arms as a means to achieve the objective.
He called upon all the CSOs of hills and valley to collectively work towards re-storing peace and normalcy in the state and urged the Centre to constitute Manipur State Peace Committee to bring back peace and normalcy in the state.
All the CSO leaders, how-ever, informed media persons that Amit Shah assured to work in the interest of people of the state and called upon CSO leaders to shoulder col-lective responsibility towards restoring peace and normalcy.
They also said that Amit Shah assured to give instruction to central forces to work without any bias or favouritism.
According to Coordinat-ing Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), Amit Shah assured a delegation of COCOMI to uphold the ter-ritorial integrity of Manipur.
Addressing a press meet at its Uripok office on Tuesday, COCOMI media-coordinator Somendro Thokchom said that it placed a 5-point demand to the union home minister during a meeting with CSO representatives at the CM's secretariat on Thesday.
Amit Shah made the assurance to uphold the integrity of the state at all cost during the meeting while asserting that there is no need to discuss the separate administration de-mand raised by 10 Kuki MLAs.
The union home minister also urged the people of the state to have trust on the cen-tral security forces.
COCOMI also raised the demand for withdrawing Assam Rifles from Kuki dominated areas to which Amit Shah urged to trust on Assam Rifles.
The union home minister, however, did not give any opinion or comment on the demand for termination of So0 agreement with Kuki militants groups.
NRC is also a strong demand raised by COCOMI during the meeting, Somendro added.
Later at about 5.30pm, representatives and leaders of some political parties met Amit Shah and made strong appeal to take up steps to re-turn peace and normalcy in the state.
Leaders of political parties which met Amit Shah include CPI leader Dr M Nara, CPI (M) state unit secretary Ksh Shanta, BJP Manipur Pradesh president A Sharda Devi, NPP national vice president Y Joy - kumar, NPF state unit pres-ident Awangbow Newmai, Shiv Sena state unit president M Tombi and JDU MLA Md Abdul Nasir.
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