Since the imposition of President’s rule in Manipur on February 13, over 2,000 arms and over 20,000 rounds of various types of ammunition have been surrendered or recovered
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IMPHAL — Since the imposition of President’s rule in Manipur on February 13, over 2,000 arms, mostly sophisticated, and over 20,000 rounds of various types of ammunition have been surrendered or recovered, facilitating the restoration of peace and normalcy in the strife-torn state.
The Centre is set to extend President's rule in Manipur for another six months from August 13, and a notice for bringing a statutory resolution on it has been given to the Rajya Sabha, while the Lok Sabha last week passed the resolution approving the imposition under Article 356 of the Constitution.
Between June 14 and July 28, over 870 arms and 12,820 different types of ammunition were recovered in joint operations by the Central and state forces from the Imphal Valley region and mountainous areas. Till March 6, around 1,000 looted and illegally held weapons, including many sophisticated arms, and a huge cache of ammunition, have been returned to the security forces by various organisations and individuals since Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla appealed for the first time on February 20.
Various reports and political parties claimed that during the ethnic riots, which broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, over 6,000 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of various types of ammunition were looted from the police stations and police outposts by the mobs, attackers and militants.
The initiative to recover the looted and illegally held arms began on May 31, 2023, when former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh made an appeal to all concerned to surrender the firearms looted from security forces and police armouries.
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Officials said that prior to Singh’s resignation as Chief Minister on February 9, a total of 3,422 firearms had been voluntarily surrendered to the authorities and the police stations in different districts. Besides the bulk recovery of arms and ammunition, almost every day the security forces, comprising the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and Manipur Police, during their joint operations recover the weapons and ammunition from both Imphal Valley and hill districts.
Manipur Director General of Police Rajiv Singh had said that arms and ammunition kept by a section of people and militants must be returned to the authorities, and dialogue between the warring communities would facilitate the restoration of peace and normalcy in the state. “Reduction of weaponisation of society” would greatly help to normalise the situation and restore peace.
"Manipur Police and other Central forces are working round the clock to recover the arms and ammunition that were looted from the police and other security forces after the ethnic violence started in the state in May 2023,” said the senior IPS officer, who was recently empanelled for the Director General (DG) of Central forces.
In another significant aspect, with the improvement in the situation, the Manipur government has started the resettlement of violence-hit displaced people. The state government has established over 300 relief camps in Imphal Valley and hilly regions to provide shelter to over 57,000 men, women and children, who were displaced after the ethnic violence broke out in the state over two years ago.
A senior government official said that most displaced people would be resettled in their original villages by December this year.
Even after December (2025), 9,000-10,000 displaced people may not be able to return to their original villages, especially those displaced from some areas, including Tengnoupal, Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi districts. These 9,000-10,000 people would be provided with accommodation in prefabricated houses.
The official said the resettlement process has been initiated after a series of meetings with various Union government ministries, including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). He said that financial assistance of Rs 3.03 lakh per family would be provided to those families whose homes have been destroyed, and a lump sum amount would be provided to those families whose homes were not damaged but have been partially damaged after two years of abandonment.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, who, along with Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka, recently visited the state, assured the violence-hit displaced people in Manipur that their resettlement plans are being prepared in close coordination with district administrations.
The MHA officials held several rounds of meetings with the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) belonging to Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribal communities to find an amicable solution to the ethnic crisis.
During the discussion on the statutory resolution to extend President's rule in Manipur, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in the Lok Sabha last week that there has been only one casualty in the state since the imposition of the Central rule on February 13.
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla also recently asserted that peace and normalcy are returning to the state with the collaborative efforts of the government, Armed Forces and CSOs. “Many have lost their lives, and thousands have become homeless in the ethnic violence in Manipur. The government has taken various steps to resolve the crisis and restore peace and confidence. Joint operations of combined teams of state police and Armed Forces have been able to recover a huge number of firearms and ammunition over the past few months,” said Bhalla.
Considering a few incidents involving farmers, the Manipur government has provided adequate security to them in vulnerable and fringe areas, so that the cultivators maintain their farming activities without any disruptions. Some district administrations have taken proactive steps to ensure uninterrupted and safe agricultural activities in their respective fringe areas by deploying Flying Squads comprising Sub-Deputy Collectors (SDCs).
In a significant development, the 134th edition of the Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament, kicked off on July 30 in Manipur after a two-year break due to the ethnic conflict in the northeastern state. Six group stage matches will be played at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, Imphal, till August 12.
Writer and intellectual Raj Kumar Kalyanjit Singh said the dark chapter of ethnic hostilities is over, and the recent steps taken by the Centre and the state government, in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have facilitated the restoration of peace and normalcy in the state.
“Both Meitei and Kuki-Zo CSO leaders have now realised that dialogue and mutual support are more beneficial for all communities than conflict,” Singh, who edited a Manipuri vernacular newspaper, told IANS.
(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)