New Delhi/Imphal, Nov 16 (IANS) The Manipur government on Saturday urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to withdraw the declaration on November 14 reimposing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in the state’s six police station areas of five districts, officials said.
Manipur Home Department’s Joint Secretary Mayengbam Veto Singh in a letter to Union Home Secretary (Govind Mohan) said that the state cabinet in its meeting on Friday night has deliberated the AFSPA issue and has decided to recommend to the Central government to review and withdraw the declaration of areas falling under the jurisdiction of six police stations in the state as ‘disturbed area’ under this act.
“It is accordingly requested to kindly review and withdraw the November 14 notification in the public interest,” said the letter.
Soon after the MHA reimposed the AFSPA on Thursday in six police station areas of five Manipur districts, including the recent violence-hit Jiribam, to give more powers to the army and paramilitary forces to take stringent action against the militants and other armed cadres, the opposition Congress and many Meitei organisations opposed the move.
State Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh in a post on the X: “The re-imposition of AFSPA in different areas under six police stations of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Jiribam and Kangpokpi Districts “by double-engine governments of BJP in Manipur is a clear symptom of the complete failure of their own double-engine governments in handling the ongoing 18 months turmoil in the state.”
He added that by the newly notified re-imposition of AFSPA in the state, the people of Manipur genuinely fear and have strong apprehension that the draconian, anti-people AFSPA will be re-imposed in all the remaining areas of Manipur.
“Do the BJP double engine governments, both in the Centre and the State, consider that by re-imposing AFSPA in the entire state of Manipur, peace will return in the state,” said Singh.
He said: “Have the double engine governments of BJP planned to bring normalcy through the imposition of AFSPA in the entire Manipur? When will Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Manipur ?”
The six police stations, where the AFSPA was reimposed on Thursday include Moirang in Bishnupur district, Lamlai in Imphal East district, Jiribam in Jiribam district, Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district, and Sekmai and Lamsang, both in Imphal West district.
The Manipur government in October extended the promulgation of the AFSPA in the entire state, except in the jurisdiction of 19 police stations in seven districts of the Imphal Valley, for another six months with effect from October 1.
These six police stations were out of the purview of the AFSPA in the Manipur government order.
After a series of incidents of violence in different districts of Manipur, the CRPF, on November 11, shot dead 10 suspected Kuki militants in an encounter and the militants kidnapped 10 people, all inmates of a relief camp at Jakuradhor in Jiribam district.
Of the 10 people, all belong to the Meitei community, the bodies of eight victims were recovered and two people were rescued alive.
Meanwhile, the MHA during the current week has also provided an additional 20 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to deal with the prevailing law and order situation.
A top Manipur Home Department official said that the 20 companies of CAPF (around 1,700 to 1,800 personnel) arrived in the state on Wednesday and Thursday and they were deployed in militancy-affected districts.
Out of the 20 companies of CAPF, 15 are from the CRPF and five are from the BSF.
The AFSPA gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary for the “maintenance of public order”.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday directed all the security forces to take the necessary steps to restore order and peace. It ordered that strict action be initiated against anyone trying to indulge in violent and disruptive activities.
An MHA statement said that the security scenario in Manipur has remained fragile for the past few days.
“Armed miscreants from both communities in conflict have been indulging in violence leading to unfortunate loss of lives and disruption in public order,” the statement said.
It said that the important cases have been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for effective investigation. The public is requested to maintain peace, not believe in rumours, and cooperate with the security forces to maintain law and order in the state, the statement added.
–IANS
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