40 Manipur MLAs submit representation to PMO against Separate Administration demand

Forty MLAs of Manipur have submitted a representation to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on various issues facing the strife-torn State including their objection to the separate administration demand, withdrawal of Suspension of Operation, implementation of NRC,  strengthening of autonomous district council and initiation of peace talk.

The MLAs stated that a separate administration as demanded by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum/Kukis is absolutely unacceptable under any circumstances.

The MLAs recommended withdrawal of the Suspension of Operations (SOO) agreement with all those who have violated the ground rules at the earliest so as to remove any disadvantages for the central forces in regard to the rules of engagement with those threats.

The MLAs alleged that there has been large scale foreign infiltration with arms and ammunition into the State and as such the Central forces should proactively engage with them.

"There has been a non-stop conflict between the State/Central forces and these insurgent armed groups in the state for the last 3 months. The source and funding of these sophisticated arms & ammunition needs to be investigated, keeping in view of how the conflict has lasted for the past three months, and the arms continue to arrive into the state," MLAs said.

The Memorandum stated that for immediate establishment of security, simple deployment of forces is inadequate, and although it is imperative to halt the violence in the peripheral areas, a complete disarmament is the key to achieve this goal.

"The entire State requires a complete disarmament to foster an environment of peace and security. The confiscation of all weapons belonging to insurgent groups and illegal armed foreign forces and those snatched from the state machinery needs to be carried out. In this regard, the central security forces need to adopt a more proactive approach to ensure lasting peace in the region," it said.

The MLAs also alleged that there have been numerous instances of farmers going out to work in their fields (to subsist) only to be fired upon by militants in elevated positions. The weapons that are being used by militants in these firing incidents are sophisticated military grade arms which include assault, sniper rifles and Rocket propelled Grenades (RPGs).

In many cases, these firing incidents have occurred in the presence of Central Security Forces which have failed to react appropriately, or react at all. This has led to a loss of faith in these forces and the buildup of public resentment, the MLAs stated

Regarding deployment of forces, the group of MLAs also demanded that the Assam Rifles (9, 22 and 37) need to be transferred from their present location of deployment while trustworthy Central forces along with state security can replace them to sanitize and neutralize to the whole area of any and all threats to peace, security and stability.

Stating that the present issue must be addressed politically in order to resolve this crisis of conflict, the MLAs suggested that to reassure  the indigenous people of Manipur, the National Registrar of Citizens (NRC) can be implemented in Manipur, sooner rather than later. Biometric registrations of immigrants have started in should be expanded and strengthened.

To reassure all Communities, the MLAs further suggested considerations of strengthen the Autonomous District Council (ADC), and conduct of regular elections (which have not been taking place) to the Hill Area Committee (HAC) and the six existing Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).