Taking into account the ongoing peace talk with the NSCN (I-M) and the Suspension of Operation with the Kuki-Chin-Mizo militant groups, the Congress argued that since the confidence building measures towards peace and normalisation had been going on smoothly in the hills, it was logical on the part of the government to revoke the disturbed area status from the hills as well.
TFM Report
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday criticised the government of India and the state government for lifting the Armed Forces Special Power’s Act (AFSPA) only from select valley areas of Manipur and has demanded the revocation of distrubed area status under the draconian Act from the hill areas as well.
Speaking at a press conference held at Rishang Keishing Media Centre,Congress Bhawan, T Manga Vaiphei, working president of MPCC, problematized the non removal of disturbed area status under AFSPA from the hill areas while nine police stations covering six districts of the valley had been recently excluded from the disturbed area status.Taking into account the ongoing peace talk with the NSCN (I-M) and the Suspension of Operation with the Kuki-Chin-Mizo militant groups, he argued that since the confidence building measures towards peace and normalisation had been going on smoothly in the hills, it was logical on the part of the government to revoke the disturbed area status from the hills as well.
Further, taking a dig at chief minister N Biren Singh’s ‘Go To Hills’ and his deep concerns for the highlanders, Manga questioned the double standard attitude of Biren towards the hill people on the revocation of disturbed area status only from select valley areas and not from the hills.
“This is the first step that the new government has taken after its formation and in the first step itself, the government has mistreated the hill people. This shows that the government,both at the centre and the state still has doubts about the people of the hill. It is our demand that the government must show equal confidence to both the hill and the valley.” said Victor Keishing, working president of MPCC.
K Devabrata Singh,working president of MPCC reiterated that with the nine police stations struck off recently and the six police stations resolved during Congress’s rule in 2004, altogether 15 police stations got relief from the purview of disturbed area status so far. However, he claimed that this was not an encouraging development since it amounted to only 21% of the 70+ police stations in Manipur. “The BJP government has been making tall claims of an improved law and order situation in the state and if that’s the case, then why has AFSPA not been totally repealed from the state?”, he questioned. He further argued that the government should instead, review its farcical report of improved law and order situation in the state inorder to avoid contradiction and create confusion.
“Moreover, the government had not taken into consideration the interest of the hill people since the removal had not covered any hill district. If the concern of the people of Manipur including the hills was not taken into consideration seriously by the government, MPCC will spearhead the issue as a political agenda and will stand with the people and the stakeholders until the demand materialises”, he concluded.
It may be mentioned that the United Naga Council (UNC) on Sunday had demanded the government at the centre and the state to desist from indulging in usual discriminatory action and repeal this outdated draconian law wherever it is being promulgated.