GUWAHATI: Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said the ethnic violence in Manipur would continue as long as the weapons looted by mobs are not recovered.
At a media interaction in Guwahati, he also said it is a “political problem” in the state where two communities, Kukis and Meiteis, have got polarised.
“Although the level of violence has come down, over 5,000 weapons were taken away from various police stations and other places. Out of that, about 1,500 weapons have been recovered. So, some 4,000 weapons are still out and as long as these are out in society, the sporadic violence will continue,” Lt Gen Kalita, who hails from Assam, said.
The weapons, along with ammunition, were looted in several incidents on different days. The state government had appealed to people multiple times to return the weapons. It had also warned that if the weapons are not returned, those possessing them would face actions as per the law.
To a query, Lt Gen Kalita said there are some “legacy issues” among Kukis, Nagas and Meiteis in the strife-torn state. He pointed out the bloody clashes between Nagas and Kukis in the 1990s in which nearly 1,000 people had lost their lives.
He said when the May 3 violence broke out, the Army’s immediate priority was to rescue people and provide relief to the displaced.
While the Army is now engaged in containing the violence and motivating the two communities caught in the conflict towards finding a solution to the problem, there has to be, ultimately, a political resolution, he said.
The ethnic violence left nearly 200 people dead and 60,000 others displaced.
On the ongoing unrest in Myanmar which saw thousands of its nationals fleeing to Mizoram, Lt Gen Kalita said any instability in the neighbourhood is not in India’s interest.
“We are giving shelter to anybody who is seeking refuge but there is a due process that is being followed,” he said.