New Delhi: New Delhi-based Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) on Monday said that only the imposition of President’s rule in Manipur and effective rehabilitation of the displaced people would help to initiate the peace process as the state is still witnessing ethnic violence.
PRAG Director Suhas Chakma said that the rights group recommended bringing the situation under control by imposing President’s rule, providing fresh impetus to the peace process headed by the Governor and ensuring effective rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced persons to their original places of inhabitants with safety and security.
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There has not been any accountability for the looting of the arms and arming of the civilians, failure to enforce the Suspension of Operations agreements with 23 underground outfits since August 2008 and failure to bring the situation under control despite the imposition of Article 355 of the Constitution on May 6, Chakma said in a statement.
He said, “The failure to bring the situation under control after the imposition of Article 355 of the Constitution on May 6 calls for the imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution to provide a government perceived as neutral. The current arrangement of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh supervising the security situation in the valley and the Ministry of Home Affairs supervising the situation in the hills only cements the division.
“The involvement of the Meiteis and the Kukis insurgent groups in the riots has the potential to spread the insurgency across the North Eastern region and destabilise the region.”
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The state and the Central governments, however, have denied the imposition of 355 in Manipur. Article 355 is a part of the Constitution’s emergency provisions that empower the Centre to take all necessary steps to protect a state against internal disturbances and external aggression.
PRAG said that after two months of riots, since May 3 after the protest by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur over the issue of the grant of Scheduled Tribes (ST) status to the Meiteis turned violent, ethnic riots between the Meiteis and the Kukis in Manipur has turned into a full-scale civil war, destabilising peace and security in the northeast.
“At least 120 persons have been killed so far while around 70,000 people have been displaced, including 50,698 persons in relief camps in Manipur, over 12,000 persons who fled to Mizoram, 3,000 persons who fled to Assam, and over 1,000 people who fled to Meghalaya while thousands of the displaced have not sought shelter in relief camps.
“The Kukis, who have fled to other states, have been facing opposition to settlement from local groups such as in Meghalaya.
“With little improvement of the situation in Manipur as reflected from the killing of 10 persons on July 2, there is little possibility for the return of the majority displaced persons to their original homes,” Chakma stated.
He said that the destabilisation of the northeast’s regional peace and security by the riots in Manipur is unprecedented in the history of the region with the arming of over 3,000 civilians with alleged looting of over 4,000 weapons and five lakhs of ammunition.