NEW DELHI: A day before the PM’s reply to the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, 40 Manipur MLAs have submitted a letter to PM Narendra Modi containing six major demands, including complete disarmament and implementation of NRC. The MLAs reached the PM's residence to submit the letter on Wednesday evening, a source said.
Stating that a simple deployment of forces in the state is inadequate, the letter noted: “Although it is very imperative to halt the violence in the peripheral areas, a complete disarmament is the key to achieve this goal.” The signatories said the entire state required complete disarmament to foster an environment of peace and security. They emphasised the need to confiscate weapons from all armed groups.
Hinting that some armed foreign forces are also responsible for violence, the letter said: “The central security forces need to adopt a more proactive approach to ensure lasting peace in this region.”
They further noted that the farmers are attacked when they go out in their fields by militants who have positioned themselves at elevated locations. “The weapons that are being used by militants in firing incidents are sophisticated military grade arms which include assault sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.”
The firings are being done in the presence of central security forces which have failed to react appropriately, or react at all, the letter said. “This has led to loss of faith in these forces and build-up of public resentment,” it claimed.
“The issue must be addressed politically...There are many options that can be explored. On one hand, to reassure the indigenous people of Manipur, the National Registrar of Citizens (NRC)can be implemented
in Manipur,” the MLAs requested the PM.
NAGAS CAUTION CENTRE
Even as the Kukis in Manipur raised a pitch for “separate administration” in the wake of ethnic violence, some Naga organisations in the state on Wednesday cautioned the Centre to not take any steps that will disintegrate the land of the Nagas while it addresses the demands of other community.