The armed forces in Manipur, repeatedly accused in the past of atrocities and using ‘excessive force’, are now being seen as ‘cooperative’ by the state’s ruling establishment. Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, in an exclusive interview to News 18, said that the army and paramilitary forces in Manipur are providing full cooperation to the state government.
N Biren said that unlike his predecessor, his approach in this issue has been different since he has requested the military to reach out to people and work together in fighting the insurgency effectively.
“I have requested the army and paramilitary forces here to work in a more thoughtful and humane way. Let insurgency be separated from the masses. If you deal with people harshly, harass or create panic, they will take an alternate way. If you are with people, dealing with insurgency becomes easy,” the chief minister said.
Singh confessed that it disturbed him to hear reports of certain ‘acts’ by security personnel, which includes some of them conniving with insurgent outfits in certain cases.
But the chief minister said he was hopeful that some insurgent groups in Manipur would soon agree for talks. He revealed that 87 militants and some small networked-groups have surrendered since he took over as the chief minister.
“I have information about some of the big groups being ready for talks, and I have sent feelers. Northeast insurgents have realised the futility of separatist movement. They are ready to find a political solution,” said N Biren.
The chief minister also condemned the recent grenade attacks on security forces in Imphal. Recently the Assam Rifles DG, Lieutenant General Shokin Chauhan, raised a concern about the “low rate of conviction of apprehended underground cadres” and sought the state’s help in maintaining a database of arrested insurgents.
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