A call for peace through complete and unconditional disarmament of all armed groups in conflict-hit Manipur is gaining ground with civilians from every community calling for effective action. They say stability will never come to Manipur if some groups remain armed while others agree to put down their weapons. It would also expose those who do not agree to simultaneous disarmament irrespective of community and ethnicity, they say.
Manipur’s three major communities – Meitei, Naga and Kuki – have armed groups that claim to speak on their community’s behalf despite having no support from the current generation who want peace and progress. Most of the Meitei and Naga armed groups fought to break away from India. However, Kuki armed groups have been working to carve out their own territory within India and have clashed with armed groups of other communities in the process. In recent times, civilians from every community have raised their voice with a huge risk to their lives against being held captive by the actions of ethnic armed groups that they do not want anywhere near them. “Every citizen, irrespective of community, ethnicity or place of residence, deserves to live in safety and dignity under the protection of the law… Three years ago ethnic violence began between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kuki tribes settled in locations which have been designated as hill areas. “…
That killed over 260 people.
Taking note of their concerns, a Manipur BJP MLA who had in the past raised the need for disarmament of every single ethnic armed group irrespective of their community affiliation, has now written to the governor with a suggestion that “a comprehensive and time-bound security and stabilisation initiative” should be launched under the name ‘Operation Manipur’ to bring lasting peace in the state bordering Myanmar. The initiative should aim to systematically recover illegal arms and ammunition, dismantle unlawful armed networks, strengthen security in vulnerable areas and ensure effective action against those responsible for targeted killings and other serious crimes,” three-time BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh said in a letter to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Firm action against unlawful armed activities must remain impartial and directed at those responsible, without discrimination on the basis of community, identity or affiliation,” he said in the letter.
