AFSPA prolonged in strife-torn Manipur hills for six months; Valley areas saved out

By PTI

IMPHAL: The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA was prolonged by one other six months in Manipur on Wednesday barring 19 police stations falling underneath the Imphal valley and an space that shares its boundary with neighbouring Assam.

An official notification mentioned the state authorities is of the opinion after analysing the prevailing law-and-order scenario that it’s not expedient to have an in depth evaluation on the bottom as safety companies are preoccupied with the upkeep of regulation and order.

“Now, therefore in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act…the Governor of Manipur hereby declare the entire state of Manipur excluding the areas falling under the jurisdiction of 19 police stations…as disturbed Area for a period of six months with effect from October 1, 2023,” the notification mentioned.

The police station areas the place the Disturbed Areas Act has not been imposed are Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Sekmai, Lamsang, Pastol, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingagng, Lamlai, Iribung, Leimakhong, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol, Moirang, Kakchin and Jirbam.

Significantly, the areas which were saved out of the purview of AFSPA are dominated by the bulk Meitei group which incorporates Jiribam, adjoining to Silchar Valley of Assam.

With the extension of AFSPA, the Army and Assam Rifles can’t function contained in the areas underneath the 19 police stations with out the consent of the state police.

Security officers have been advocating bringing your entire state underneath AFSPA in order that they might simply be certain that the presence of terror teams inside the valley is diminished or eradicated, sources mentioned.

The safety companies have been warning that banned terror teams United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and KCP have been forming their base within the Imphal valley of the state.

They have additionally been warning about the potential of these terrorists mingling with crowds throughout any protest to stoke tensions in restive Manipur, the sources mentioned.

They mentioned at current UNLF has a cadre power of 330 adopted by PLA with 300 and KYKL with 25 who had been energetic inside the teams of the bulk group.

The overwhelming assist being prolonged to cadres of those banned organisations was witnessed on June 24, when Army and Assam Rifles, primarily based on particular intelligence, nabbed 12 members of KYKL in East Imphal together with self-styled ‘Lt Colonel’ Moirangthem Tamba alias Uttam.

Uttam was one of many masterminds of the ambush on the 6 Dogra regiment in 2015 that left 18 military troopers useless.

The officers mentioned there have been apprehensions that the arms and ammunition looted from the Manipur Police armoury may have landed with these terror teams.

Among the arms looted included .303 rifles, Medium Machine Guns (MMG) and AK assault rifles, carbines, Insas Light Machine Guns (LMG), Insas rifles, M-16 and MP5 rifles.

The officers mentioned round 4,537 arms and 6.32 lakh rounds of ammunition had been lacking primarily from Manipur Police Training Centre (MTPC) at Pangei in East Imphal, seventh India Reserve battalion and eighth Manipur Rifles, each situated at Khabeisoi in Imphal metropolis.

The extension of the AFSPA within the hill areas was of least significance as greater than 20 terror teams from the tribal areas had entered into an settlement on Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the Centre and the state authorities.

More than 180 individuals have been killed and a number of other hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised within the hill districts to protest in opposition to the bulk Meitei group’s demand for Scheduled Tribe standing.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s inhabitants and stay principally within the Imphal valley, whereas tribals, together with Nagas and Kukis, represent 40 per cent and reside principally within the hill districts.

IMPHAL: The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA was prolonged by one other six months in Manipur on Wednesday barring 19 police stations falling underneath the Imphal valley and an space that shares its boundary with neighbouring Assam.

An official notification mentioned the state authorities is of the opinion after analysing the prevailing law-and-order scenario that it’s not expedient to have an in depth evaluation on the bottom as safety companies are preoccupied with the upkeep of regulation and order.

“Now, therefore in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act…the Governor of Manipur hereby declare the entire state of Manipur excluding the areas falling under the jurisdiction of 19 police stations…as disturbed Area for a period of six months with effect from October 1, 2023,” the notification mentioned.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

The police station areas the place the Disturbed Areas Act has not been imposed are Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Sekmai, Lamsang, Pastol, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingagng, Lamlai, Iribung, Leimakhong, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol, Moirang, Kakchin and Jirbam.

Significantly, the areas which were saved out of the purview of AFSPA are dominated by the bulk Meitei group which incorporates Jiribam, adjoining to Silchar Valley of Assam.

With the extension of AFSPA, the Army and Assam Rifles can’t function contained in the areas underneath the 19 police stations with out the consent of the state police.

Security officers have been advocating bringing your entire state underneath AFSPA in order that they might simply be certain that the presence of terror teams inside the valley is diminished or eradicated, sources mentioned.

The safety companies have been warning that banned terror teams United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and KCP have been forming their base within the Imphal valley of the state.

They have additionally been warning about the potential of these terrorists mingling with crowds throughout any protest to stoke tensions in restive Manipur, the sources mentioned.

They mentioned at current UNLF has a cadre power of 330 adopted by PLA with 300 and KYKL with 25 who had been energetic inside the teams of the bulk group.

The overwhelming assist being prolonged to cadres of those banned organisations was witnessed on June 24, when Army and Assam Rifles, primarily based on particular intelligence, nabbed 12 members of KYKL in East Imphal together with self-styled ‘Lt Colonel’ Moirangthem Tamba alias Uttam.

Uttam was one of many masterminds of the ambush on the 6 Dogra regiment in 2015 that left 18 military troopers useless.

The officers mentioned there have been apprehensions that the arms and ammunition looted from the Manipur Police armoury may have landed with these terror teams.

Among the arms looted included .303 rifles, Medium Machine Guns (MMG) and AK assault rifles, carbines, Insas Light Machine Guns (LMG), Insas rifles, M-16 and MP5 rifles.

The officers mentioned round 4,537 arms and 6.32 lakh rounds of ammunition had been lacking primarily from Manipur Police Training Centre (MTPC) at Pangei in East Imphal, seventh India Reserve battalion and eighth Manipur Rifles, each situated at Khabeisoi in Imphal metropolis.

The extension of the AFSPA within the hill areas was of least significance as greater than 20 terror teams from the tribal areas had entered into an settlement on Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the Centre and the state authorities.

More than 180 individuals have been killed and a number of other hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised within the hill districts to protest in opposition to the bulk Meitei group’s demand for Scheduled Tribe standing.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s inhabitants and stay principally within the Imphal valley, whereas tribals, together with Nagas and Kukis, represent 40 per cent and reside principally within the hill districts.