Responding to the demand of the public for the removal of Central forces from Manipur, security advisor to the state government, Kuldiep Singh on Monday said that they will look into the matter. He also said that as long as the security forces are doing their job to bring back normalcy, they will continue with their job.
“If there is any such thing, we will definitely look into it, but as long as the central forces are doing their job properly to restore normalcy, they will continue to continue to carry on the operation as per the government wish,” the security advisor said while addressing the media at the CM’s Secretariat.
Following the alleged silence of the central forces while suspected militants are rapidly burning down houses and attacking the civilians in peripheral areas, demand for withdrawal of central forces had been raised from different corners of the valley districts.
Speaking to the media at the chief minister’s secretariat, Kuldiep also refuted the allegation that the state police are restricted to carry on operation in certain areas by the central forces.
“The state police have the jurisdiction to operate anywhere in the state. Sometimes, they indulge in joint operations with other central forces as their armed power and strength is not sufficient,” he said.
As the areas bordering the two communities who are at tense is vast, the deployment of security in such a border is prioritised as per the sensitivity of the area, he said, adding that in fact the state has sought for inflow of more central security forces to mend the loophole areas and they are coming soon.
Besides enforcing lawful action in the conflict areas, efforts are being made by the state police and administration to reach out to the respective villager heads to ensure that the villager does not get indulged in any unwanted activities, the security advisor said.
Such has given a good result in restoring normalcy and slowly we are reaching it out to all, he added.
The security advisor also informed that the chief secretary along with him on Sunday had met the leaders of Coordination of Tribal Union (COTU), a committee of CSOs in Kangpokpi.
He said, during the meeting the leaders of COTU had raised certain issues and concerns which included the delay in police action against the FIR lodged in connection with burning down of houses in Imphal, the need of specialist doctors in the district, the issue of students and others.
As assured to redress their grievances by forwarding it to the central government, the COTU had assured the government all sorts of cooperating in restoring normalcy, he added.
Talking about the Monday’s crisis in the New Checkon area in Imphal East, he said that the police had arrested three miscreants including a former MLA, who intimidate the vendors and shopkeepers in the areas, and seized two guns.
Regarding the arson of houses which was a reaction to the intimidation, Kuldiep informed that a raid will be carried out on Monday night in that area to arrest maximum miscreants involved in the arson.
Kuldiep also informed that a total of 494 arms has been recovered so far, out of the total 1,070 armed looted by miscreants and relief camps are running as usual and the numbers of inmates are reducing day by day.
There is no report of any incident of violence in Churachandpur district in the last two days, he added.
Meanwhile a release stated that 39,405 returnees are in 235 relief camps including local/village/community halls i.e. Imphal West (6 camps - 649 persons); Imphal East (40 camps - 8,015 persons); Thoubal (12 camps – 911 persons); Bishnupur (54 camps - 8,123 persons); Churachandpur (41 camps – 11,455 persons); Tengnoupal (9 camps - 1,463 persons); Kakching (2 camp - 192 persons); Jiribam (4 camps - 117 persons); Kangpokpi (57 camps- 8,000 persons); Ukhrul (1 camp - 38 persons); Senapati (1 camp - 22 persons); and Kamjong (8 camps – 420 persons).
It informed that as normal situation prevails in most districts, curfew was relaxed for 11 hours i.e. 5 am to 4 pm in three districts namely Jiribam, Bishnupur and Kakching; 10 hours i.e. 5 am to 3 pm in two districts namely Chandel and Churachandpur; 12 hours i.e. 5 am to 5 pm in Thoubal; five hours i.e. 6 am to 11 am in Kangpokpi; seven hours i.e. 7 am to 2 pm Tengnoupal and 12 hours i.e. 6 am to 6 pm in Pherzawl. There is no curfew in Tamenglong, Noney, Senapati, Ukhrul and Kamjong, it mentioned.
It continued that deployment of Army/AR/CAPI/local police is effectively done with more deployment in the fringe and a total of 64 Coys of CAPI are deployed. Flag march and area domination exercises are carried out widely and search operations are also conducted in vulnerable areas, it maintained.
