Restoration of State Power in Manipur

Blunders in Manipur?

Since the outbreak of ethnic violence in the state of Manipur on May 3, 2023the use of Assam Rifles and the State Police in vulnerable areas has been a point of contention between the warring tribes of Kuki-Zo and the Meitei.

Meitei leaders and lawmakers have alleged that Assam Rifles have been deployed in many ‘sensitive areas’ not responsive and remain, mute spectators, as unarmed civilians are shot indiscriminately by the Kukis, who are skilled in the use of advanced firearms due to their involvement in drug trafficking. On January 22, 2024, 34 MLAs passed a resolution stating: “These forces and their leadership (chain of command) must be given strict instructions and held accountable and replaced with forces capable of responding by returning fire if they see shots being fired at unarmed civilians, so that civilians can take cover and reach safety.” It is against this backdrop that the decision was taken to replace the Assam Rifles with the CRPF. Two battalionsone in Churachandpur and the other in Kangpokpi districts are replaced by CRPFThe . Kuki Student Organization (KSO) strongly opposes this move. But it cannot be understated that the violence unleashed by the Kukis has killed at least 226 people and displaced over 60,000. Despite the presence of an estimated 36,000 personnel of the Indian Army and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the Kuki violence continues unabated.

In September 2024, six people were killed in fresh violence in Manipur. Jiribam district. Suspected Kuki insurgents attacked Nungchappi village in the district, about 229 km from the state capital Imphal, and even used rocket bombs. Suspected Kuki insurgents attacked villages in Imphal West district with armed drones – making it the first time that insurgents have used drones outside Kashmir. Protesters in the Imphal Valley have blamed the state and central governments for the drone and missile attacks, leaving civilians with no choice but to defend themselves. Taking a cue from events in neighboring Bangladesh, students took to the streets of Manipur’s Imphal to protest the escalation of violence in the state and demanded the removal of the DGP and the Safety Advisor.

The state of Manipur has never developed the infrastructure or material capacity to address its existential problems. security threats from illegal drug traffickers. The Assam Rifles and the state police should have been trained to detect and disrupt drug trafficking in the region, besides improving their ability to transnational crimeThe country’s geography and its neighbors’ fight against narco-terrorism are also crucial to understanding the crisis.

Myanmar’s forced eviction of violent civilians Rohingya tribe, Bangladesh’s high addiction to the addictive drug Yaba, and the recent revelation of a new Christian country being planned by Western agencies should have raised the stakes for our security and intelligence agencies. While the Assam Rifles is the oldest paramilitary force in India, the CRPF is the largest paramilitary force in India. The Assam Rifles has the heavy responsibility of border security, counter-insurgency and maintaining law and order in the Northeast. Its primary mission is to guard the Indo-Myanmar border. But it was only in 2022 that the Assam Rifles was given police powers to keep a check on the rising drug trade in the Northeast. The central government in 2022 gave the Assam Rifles powers under Section 42 of the NDPS Act, which gives the police the power to “search the premises, seize drugs, arrest any person or arrest the person who has committed the offence without a warrant”.

But both the central and state governments did nothing to suppress the rivalry between the state police and the Assam Rifles. On many occasions, the Manipur police remained FIRs against Assam Rifles! The police accused the central forces of helping Kuki militants escape freely to a safe zone during combing operations. Manipur police and Assam Rifles have clashed more than once in the recent past confrontations while trying to defend their respective geographical zones allotted to them for maintaining law and order. This is a very unsatisfactory situation; which the violent Kuki militants have exploited to the hilt. To compound the complication, the CRPF is being induced and the government is also planning to strengthen the CRPF by curtailing the jurisdiction of the Assam Rifles! Is this the way to tackle the specter of narco-terrorism, and the added threat of dismantling and creation of a new country in the North-East?

The Central and State Governments of Manipur must now tackle the metastasizing criminal elements within the society, economy and state of Manipur. This should involve more than just expressions of sympathy and solidarity. Patrols in neighbouring countries such as Myanmar and Bangladesh would require mobilising better border control, through troops and air surveillance. A hostile Bangladeshi government, while adding to the police problems, can easily be strangled by colluding with the flourishing Yaba trade, which will have a very serious impact on that country and will deal a crushing blow to those who interfere in trying to create a new country. Strengthening and intensifying interdiction or maintaining discreet passivity is a convenient lever that can be used effectively to defeat the Bangladeshi government and their recalcitrant students.

There is a clear risk that the Northeast could break up into a narco-zone, which would have international implications for India and its neighbors. Just as the reasons for the current problems are domestic and international, so are the responsibilities and solutions. Mediation and negotiations are difficult in armed tribal conflictsbecause they are often complex with multiple causes. The Centre and the Manipur government should strictly restrain the police forces from FIR gamesbut instead focus on the borders, where alliances between state and non-state armed actors, who do not respect humanitarian values ​​or the rules of war and who have fragmented chains of command, are poised to unleash a bloody civil war.

The government must strongly remind all divisive forces, both locally and internationally, that we successful partner once with the British in the Opium Wars, which devastated China. It is a tried and tested modus operandi to force stubborn, proud enemies into humiliating submission, and to force to persuade them to agree to mutually favorable peace terms.

Remark:

1. Text in Blue refers to additional information on the subject.

2. The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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