Manipur's NDA MLAs urge Centre to withdraw AFSPA, ban Kuki militants

Imphal (The Uttam Hindu): The BJP-led ruling NDA MLAs have urged the Centre to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) from the six police stations and to ban the Kuki militants within seven days otherwise they would decide the future course of action in consultation with the people of the state. The NDA legislators urging the Central government to resolve 8-point resolutions after an emergency meeting at the secretariat of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday night. CM Singh chaired the marathon meeting, which assumed significance amidst the escalating violence in the state and the withdrawal of support from the BJP government in Manipur by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party (NPP), which has seven MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly.

The NDA MLAs urged the Centre to declare the Kuki Militants responsible for the killing of the six innocent women and children as an unlawful organisation' within 7 days and to review the imposition of AFSPA in six police stations. The Ministry of Home Affairs on November 14 reimposed the AFSPA 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 NDA meeting also urged the Centre to start mass operations against the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of three women and three children in Jiribam within seven days.

The meeting also requested the Centre to hand over three cases of killings to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The cases include the killing of six innocent Meitei women and children in Jiribam, the death of a Hmar tribal woman who was burnt to death on November 7 in Jiribam and the killing of a Meitei community woman farmer in Saiton in Bishnupur district on November 9. The Monday night NDA meeting condemned the widespread attacks and vandalization of properties of several Ministers, MLAs and other leaders representing the people in various districts especially in Imphal East and Imphal West on November 16 and 17.

“Such barbaric action of the miscreants, including the looting and destruction of properties, was strongly condemned by all the legislators present in the meeting. "Legal action would be initiated against the concerned miscreants, based on the findings of a high-powered committee,” the resolution of the NDA meeting said. Meanwhile, 13 civil society organisations belonging to the Meitei community, earlier called for the resignations of all 50 MLAs in Manipur, including Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, citing a lack of political will and warned of a potential public uprising. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of the Meitei community, on Sunday, gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Centre and the state government to take "decisive action" against armed groups or face public anger.

COCOMI Spokesperson Khuraijam Athouba on Sunday urged all the 50 MLAs (excluding 10 tribal legislators), comprising ruling and opposition parties to sit together and take decisive action against the armed groups and to resolve the ethnic crisis. "If they (MLAs) do not take any decisive actions up to the satisfaction of the people of the state, then the government will bear the brunt of the people’s discontent and anger," Athouba had told the media.