Effectiveness of police in Kuki areas questionable: Lt Gen Kalita
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 21 2024: Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita, the former chief of Indian Army's Eastern Command, raised concerns about the effectiveness of Manipur police in Kuki-dominated areas while praising the Assam Rifles for their impartiality and professionalism.

Lt Gen Kalita, who retired in December 2023, shared insights into the complexities of the conflict and the challenges faced by both security forces and the state government.

In an interview with The Wire, Lt Gen RK Kalita pointed out that a major issue in managing the ethnic conflict between the Kuki and Meetei communities has been the functioning of Manipur police in Kuki-dominated regions.

"There has been a problem because the effectiveness of the Manipur police in particularly the Kuki-dominated areas is a question mark.

That has been the problem right from the beginning," he explained.

The Kuki community has long expressed apprehensions about the police force, viewing it as Meetei-dominated, which has led to widespread mistrust and further complicated the state's security efforts.

Kalita explained that during the initial outbreak of violence in May 2023, the situation became even more challenging when officers from both communities abandoned their posts to safeguard their own areas, leaving many areas, especially Kuki-dominated ones, without law enforcement.

"In certain areas, there was a total absence of the police forces, so the central forces had to operate on their own," he said, emphasising that the lack of police presence early on severely impacted the overall security response.

He added that while the Manipur police have since regained control and their coordination with central forces has improved, the initial lack of command and control contributed to the instability that continues to simmer.

The mistrust between the communities remains, preventing any real reconciliation or lasting peace, he said.

While acknowledging the limitations of Manipur police, Lt Gen Kalita, however, defended the role of Assam Rifles, which has often been accused of bias in favour of the Kuki community.

He refuted these claims, stating, "There is a narrative being driven continuously by vested interests who are trying to portray Assam Rifles as being biased and favouring the Kukis, which is absolutely not true".

He emphasised that Assam Rifles had maintained a neutral stance throughout the conflict, performing its duties under extremely challenging circumstances.

He backed his argument by citing examples of how the Assam Rifles had intervened to protect Meetei civilians in Kuki-dominated areas during some of the worst violence in May 2023."Who saved the Meetei population when they were threatened in Churachandpur and Moreh? It was Assam Rifles who provided them safety and escorted them to safer areas," he stated, noting that the force had risked its own safety to protect civilians on both sides.

The conflict, according to Lt Gen Kalita, has also provided an opportunity for insurgent groups from both communities to reassert themselves.

Prior to May 2023, insurgent groups had largely lost their influence as development efforts in the state gained momentum.

However, the violence has allowed them to regain their relevance by positioning themselves as protectors of their respective communities.

He noted that the insurgents from both sides have been actively involved in the fighting since the conflict began.

"One of the major reasons for the continued violence is the easy availability of weapons and other war-like stores to both communities," he said, pointing to the influx of sophisticated weaponry, including drones and rocket-propelled grenades.

While the types of weapons being used may vary, it is the ease with which these groups acquire arms that is most concerning, according to Kalita.

He stressed the need to address both the availability of weapons and the intent to use them in perpetuating violence.

Summing up the current situation in Manipur, Lt Gen Kalita described it as "very complex," with cycles of violence persisting due to the deep-rooted mistrust between the Kuki and Meitei communities.

Despite efforts to control the situation, including the deployment of 60,000 central forces, peace remains fragile.

He emphasised that while progress has been made, particularly with the reassertion of control by the Manipur police and coordination with central forces, the state is far from achieving lasting peace.

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