State forces will be deployed in Moreh at any cost: Govt
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 03 2023: Education minister Th Basantakumar has said that state government is making all efforts to station requisite strength of state forces in Moreh town while asserting the despatched additional personnel will be deployed at any cost.

Basantakumar stated this during a press conference held at DIPR on Thursday along with government spokesperson and health minister Dr Sapam Ranjan.

Replying to a query raised by media persons on the additional state force despatched for Moreh stuck at Tengnoupal for the past few days, Basanta said around 200 security personnel are being deployed in Moreh in addition to police commando already present in the border town.

State government is fully committed to deploying requite number of state forces in Moreh, he said adding that state government will take up necessary steps in this regard.

According to Basantakumar, duty of the government is to ensure protection to people and make them safe and sound all the time.

He also said that government is closely monitoring likely impact when the ban on internet is lifted as the situation improve.

While conveying that the government is fully aware about internet ban affecting and inconveniencing every section of the society, he clarified that the internet ban throughout the state.

Th Basantakumar further said that Manipur Legislative Assembly session is normally held every six months and normal session for the current term falls in the last week of August.

Nevertheless, government has started process to convene assembly session on August 16/17, he added.

To another poser, the minister said that the government is planning to resume normal classes for higher sections after assessing law & order situation in the next couple of weeks while preparation has been made for resuming normal classes from standard IX to XII from next week.

However, 44 schools out of around 2,000 having classes IX to XII are being occupied by security forces and process is on to relocate security forces from these schools to facilitate resume normal classes.

While asserting that state government has been taking up necessary steps for return of peace and normalcy since the past three months, Th Basantakumar said a court ruling has come regarding mass burial programme and ordered to maintain status quo at the proposed burial site.

Mass burial cannot be conducted now in view of the court's order and the court also ruled that stakeholders concerned must work towards returning peace and normalcy with mutual understanding.

It may be mentioned here that Moreh in Manipur along the India-Myanmar international border is regarded as India's gateway to Southeast Asia.

Moreh in Tengnoupal district of Manipur has been almost cut off from the rest of the country after the ethnic clashes erupted on May 3 between Kukis and Meiteis.

Over 3000 Meiteis residing in Moreh have fled from the town and have been taking shelter at relief camps in the valley districts of Manipur.

Moreh in Manipur is predominantly inhabited by people belonging to the Kuki community.

Currently troopers of the Assam Rifles are deployed at Moreh and are assisting a skeleton force of the state police and commandos there.

It may be mentioned here that hundreds of Kuki women have been blocking the Manipur security personnel at Tengnoual on their way toward Moreh for the past four days.

The Kukis protestors have been demanding complete withdrawal of state forces that are stationed in Moreh.

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