CoTU excoriates Manipur Home Department's 'Disturbed Area' order, demands disturbed area tag in all valley districts

The Committee on Tribal Unity, Sadar Hill Kangpokpi District heavily censured the notification of the Manipur Home Department's exclusion of 19 police station areas in the valley from the "Disturbed Area" tag and strongly demanded declaration of the entire valley as "Disturbed Area" under AFSPA.

Barring 19 specific police station areas, the Manipur government on Wednesday declared the entire state as a 'disturbed area', in light of the prevailing law and order situation.

As per the Manipur Home Department's notification, the Governor of Manipur is of the opinion that the violent activities of various extremist/insurgent groups warrant the use of Armed Forces in aid of civil administration in the entire State of Manipur except the areas falling under the jurisdiction of the 19 (nineteen) Police Stations under (i) Imphal (ii) Lamphel (iii) City (iv) Singjamei (v) Sekmai (vi) Lamsang (vii) Patsoi (viii) Wangoi (ix) Porompat (x) Heingang,(xi) Lamlai (xii) Irilbung (xiii) Leimakhong (xiv)Thoubal (xv) Bishnupur (xvi) Nambol (xvii) Moirang (xviii) Kakching and (xix) Jiribam.

Whereas, the State Government is of the opinion after analyzing the prevailing law and order situation in the State that it is not expedient to have a detailed assessment on the ground as the Sister Security Agencies are preoccupied in the maintenance of law and order.

Further, it will be premature to arrive at any conclusion or decision on such a sensitive matter without detailed assessment; thereby not appropriate to review the "Disturbed Area" status of the State at the moment, stated the notification.

While heavily censuring the Home Department's notification, CoTU in its press statement issued by the Media Cell stated that the state Government has deliberately excluded the nineteen police station areas of the valley districts.

Vehemently condemning the Manipur Home Department's notification, CoTU termed it as an "irresponsible notification" which is issued for fear of mere "Public Criticism".

"The Union Home Ministry must realize that the explicit cause of the current violence is the withdrawal of disturbed areas under AFSPA in the nineteen police station areas of the valley districts", CoTU stated.

It also maintained that the ethnic violence which is sponsored by the state has systemically misused laws and acts to target the Kuki-Zo Community and one important reason for the withdrawal of disturbed areas under AFSPA in the valley is to consolidate the ground for preparing their ethnic cleansing pogrom.

It then stated that the state-sponsored elements took advantage of the situation in the valley by mobilizing terrorists and masquerading as state Commandos to attack the Kuki -Zo Community.

It also stated that the real law and order maintaining agency of the Centre forces are aware of the ill motives of the state, however being devoid of their special power makes them helpless and sometimes deduced to a mere spectator.

The committee pointed out that as all forms of violence emanated from the valley, it is imperative that the Union Home Ministry must instruct the state and immediately declare all valley areas as "Disturbed areas" so that rampant violence from the valleys is contained and peace in its essence is revitalized.