Correspondent
IMPHAL, SEP 7 (NPN): Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh told the state Assembly on Monday that village volunteers in the hills and valley and Arambai Tenggol have not been declared banned organizations by the state government.
The statement came during a short-duration discussion initiated by opposition Congress MLA K Ranjit Singh on cases arising from the violence that began on May 3, 2023.
The chief minister said that the prolonged crisis had led many youths to take up arms, with some motivated by what they considered legitimate intentions, while others may have become involved in criminal activities.
He clarified that arrests made by the police were based on alleged individual-level offences rather than membership or affiliation with the groups. Singh said that the government could not simply withdraw criminal cases against individuals and that each case would have to be examined separately. The process would take time, he added. The chief minister also acknowledged that the morale of the Manipur police had suffered following the crisis and said efforts were underway to strengthen the force.
State home minister Govindas Konthoujam, meanwhile, reiterated the government’s 2024 decision not to prosecute individuals who were not involved in heinous crimes such as attacks on security forces, extortion, murder or other serious criminal activities.
Konthoujam said protecting youths who were not involved in such offences was the government’s responsibility. He also rejected allegations that police were harassing youths and said individual cases would be reviewed. He further informed the house of the state Assembly that the chief minister had directed authorities to release, after questioning, individuals named in suo-motu cases registered by investigating agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), as soon as possible.