GUWAHATI: Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday issued a seven-day deadline to people in the ethnic violence-hit state to surrender the looted weapons.
He warned that strict action would be taken against individuals if found possessing such weapons after the expiry of the stipulated time.
In an appeal, Bhalla said the state government was deeply concerned about the illegal circulation of arms and ammunition that were either looted or unlawfully taken away from various places including state armouries.
Stating that these weapons posed a serious threat to the safety and the security of the society, he said people, both in the valley and the hills, suffered immense hardship for the last 20 months due to a series of incidents affecting peace and communal harmony.
“In the greater interest of restoring normalcy so that people can return to their normal day-to-day activities, all communities in the state must come forward to ensure the cessation of hostilities and maintenance of peace and order in the society,” the governor said.
He appealed to them, particularly the youth in the valley and the hills, to come forward and surrender the looted and illegally held weapons and ammunition to the police or security forces within the next seven days.
“Your single act of returning these weapons can be a powerful gesture towards ensuring peace. I want to assure you that no punitive action will be initiated if such weapons are returned within the stipulated time. Thereafter, strict action will be taken for possession of such weapons,” the governor warned.
He said the government was committed to ensuring a peaceful resolution of the situation and safeguarding the future of the youth.
“Let us rebuild our state together with hope and trust for a brighter future. Come forward and choose peace,” he further appealed.