Women group accuses AR of supporting Kukis
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 28 2024: A women's organisation has come out with a detailed account of how the Assam Rifles troops have been allegedly acting in a partisan manner since the ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023 .

A statement issued by the Saiton Nupi Samaj Chaokhat Lup has asserted that the Assam Rifles' support to the Kukis is one major factor for the inability to bring an end to the violence even after more than 14 months.

The Meitei villages of Torbung and Bangla are located very close to Kangvai where troops of 9 Sector Assam Rifles are stationed.

But the armed Kukis were allowed to burn down the Meitei houses of Torbung, Bangla and Waikhurok right in front of the eyes of Assam Rifles troops, it said.

As many as 40 legislators submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister in August 2023 seeking withdrawal of Assam Rifles from Manipur and their replacement with trustworthy Central security forces.

On August 8, 2023, the Manipur unit of the BJP also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace Assam Rifles with any other paramilitary force "permanently from the State in the interest of the public" .

In order to bring peace in Manipur, the authorities need to check the activities of Assam Rifles, it said.

Instead of containing the violence by preventing movement of the attackers, Central security forces, particularly Assam Rifles, have been acting in a completely contradictory manner.

As a result, people have lost all their faith in the Assam Rifles.

People still remember the role taken by Assam Rifles when Kuki narco-terrorists attacked Serou and Sugnu in the dead of night on May 28, 2023 and burnt down hundreds of houses, the Lup said.

The State police were even compelled to register an FIR against Assam Rifles for blocking their way when police went after Kuki terrorists involved in slaughtering innocent citizens.

Recently a combined team of Manipur Police and CRPF was prevented by Assam Rifles from carrying out search operations in suspected areas after Kuki terrorists gunned down one CRPF personnel and inflicted injuries to two police personnel at Jiribam.

Such incidents are undeniable testimonies of how Assam Rifles have been supporting the Kukis, it asserted.

It alleged that the Assam Rifles troops have been facilitating influx of illegal immigrants in Kamjong, Manipur.

Illegal immigrants from Myanmar have outnumbered local residents at eight villages of Kamjong and majority of these illegal immigrants are fugitives, it said.

The Rilram Area Maring Organisation has also pointed out that cross border movement of Myanmar Nationals could be observed more near the Assam Rifles post.

As a result of the Assam Rifles' abject failure to secure the Indo-Myanmar border and check infiltration, Manipur is grappling with a serious issue of demographic imbalance, it said.

All partisan Central security forces which could not act in a neutral manner must be withdrawn from Manipur, it added.

Comment