Correspondent – IMPHAL, MAY 8: Manipur Congress alleged “external aggression” taking place in the state while referring to the recent attacks on some villages near the Indo-Myanmar in Kamjong district. This allegation comes after an MLA from the ruling Naga People’s Front made the same allegation.
Launching a sharp attack on both the Centre and the state government over the recent violence in Kamjong district, MPCC president and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh questioned how armed attacks could occur in sensitive Indo-Myanmar border villages despite the presence of security forces in the region.
Addressing a news conference in the presence of several leaders of the MPCC, Singh also criticized both the Central and state governments alleging that no befitting action was taken even as cross border attacks were taking place in the state of Manipur.
The criticism came amid the allegations of involvement of Myanmar based militants behind the recent attacks at some villages near the Indo-Myanmar border in Kamjong district.
Highly reliable sources today said that four persons – a woman and three members of Myanmar nationals taking refuge at Wanglee Market – were still missing following the coordinated attacks.
Cadres of Myanmar based Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B) have been alleged to be behind the pre-dawn attacks using drones, rocket launchers and other sophisticated weapons at Wanglee, Namlee, and Choro villages on Thursday.
The former chief minister lashed out at the Centre and the state government while asserting that their response to the latest violence incidents in the border villages was not satisfactory.
Alleging that despite the external aggression taking place in the state, the Centre, particularly its security forces deployed to guard the international border remained as mute spectators, Singh questioned if the state was receiving due the attention it deserves from the Government of India.
The former three times chief minister also alleged that the authorities had failed to effectively deal with the ongoing crisis and maintain law and order in the state.
Reiterating that the current tension in Manipur involved external aggression, he alleged that armed miscreants from across the international border attacked the villagers in areas under Kamjong district.
The Central security forces were stationed nearby but no effective action was taken against the attackers, he said while questioning the purposes of their (security forces) presence in the area.
The former chief minister alleged that the Central security forces, particularly the Assam Rifles mainly responsible for guarding the international border remained as silent spectators instead of taking firm action to protect villages near the border.
“We do not even hear of any follow up combing operations to hunt down the attackers” Singh said.
The MPCC president added that there were reports of deployment of some unarmed state police personnel to the villagers after yesterday’s incident.
At the same time, there were reports of the presence of militants armed with sophisticated weapons across the border in Myanmar.
“This shows that both the state government as well as the Centre is not serious about the security and wellbeing of the people in the border areas,” he said.
Singh added that whether it was external aggression as alleged by a ruling MLA or an internal aggression, it was a total failure of law and order.
“We have witnessed many tragic incidents (since the outbreak of the violence crisis in May 2023) with the latest being a bomb attack at Tronglaobi that killed two children and death of two civilians in an ambush on civilian vehicles (in Ukhrul district).”
“If what is happening in Manipur happens to be in other states like Gujarat, UP or any other states, would the Centre continue to remain silent?” he asked.
“The governments at the Centre and in the state as well are equally responsible for what is happening in Manipur,” he added.
He further asked will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah remain silent if similar incidents of cross border attacks take place in Gujarat.
Expressing disappointment over what he described as continued negligence towards Manipur, the MPCC president said he felt ashamed over the manner in which the state’s issues were being handled and again questioned whether Manipur was truly being treated as an integral part of India.
