AR not trustworthy, withdraw from state: Meira paibi group
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 16 2024: While contending that the Assam Rifles had been harbouring and executing partisan policy rather than adhere to the mandate of ensuring safety of the bonafide citizens, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur (PLMPAM) has demanded complete withdrawal of the central para-military force from the state.

In a release, PLMPAM publicity secretary S Roma sympathised with extreme suffering of the people since outbreak of the Meetei-Kuki violence on May 3, 2023 after the state enjoyed harmonious co-existence since time immemorial.

Amid the raging violence, there had been demands from different sections of the society to withdraw the Assam Rifles as many view the paramilitary force of being partisan in their conduct with the commoners contrary to leniency on community or individuals indulging in poppy cultivation and drug peddling, noted the women's vigilante group, apart from referring to 40 members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly submitting a memorandum in August 2023 for replacing Assam Rifles with a more trustworthy force.

Instead of controlling the ongoing violence, conduct of certain central forces deployed in the state is questionable especially on their neutrality, Roma claimed, and demanded protection of both hills and valley instead of evacuating the people and turning them into refugees in their own land.

Such relocation of people is also abetting disintegration of the multi-cultural territory of Manipur, she asserted.

Stating that Assam Rifles has betrayed the trust of the people, she said that Assam Rifles should effectively tackled those who torched houses and looted properties in Torbung Bangla, Churachandpur and Moreh on May 3 and 28, 2023.Moreover, an FIR was lodged against the AR for hindering movement of state forces in combatting Kuki militants in May last year with the recent incident being posing hurdles to a combined team of police and CRPF from conducting search operation in suspected locations post the killing of a CRPF soldier and injuring two police personnel in an attack by Kukis in Jiribam, thereby deepening suspicion of the Assam Rifles taking sides amid the on-going conflict.

As the responsibility for protect ing the Indo-Myanmar border has been the prerogative of the Assam Rifles for decades, massive illegal immigration of Myanmarese into the state underscore complete failure of the AR in performing their assigned task, further alleged the Meira Paibi lup, likening unrestrained influx of outsiders to demographic invasion, aiding occupation of reserved forest and other illegal activities.

As people have lost trust in the Assam Rifles due to their one-sidedness and failure to maintain neutrality, she reiterated the demand for withdrawal of the paramilitary force from the state.

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