Asem Bhakta Singh, Special Correspondent North East
Imphal: (Waari Singbul Network ) The valley districts of conflict-torn Manipur on Tuesday witnessed widespread protests, demanding the government to scrap the tripartite ceasefire deal – Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Kuki-Chin militant group.
This came a day ahead of the commencement of the 5th session of the 12th state legislative assembly which will have five sittings.
Numbering 25, the militant groups drawn from Kuki-Chin dominated districts inked the SoO pact with the Centre and state government in 2008.
The armed groups have been accused of breaching the ceasefire ground rules, attacking Meitei community in the ongoing ethnic conflict spanning more than nine months and indulging in narco-terrorism in collaboration with foreign militants.
As the validity of ceasefire deal, which has been extended periodically, expires on February 29, MLAs of the state have been urged to take a decision in the assembly session unanimously to annul the pact.
The opposition Congress, one the other hand, has urged the state government to reserve a day for discussing exclusively the current situation besetting the state for restoration of public order.
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and senior party legislator, Keisham Meghachandra, taking a cue from the special parliament sessions convened during Indo- Pakistan and Indo-China wars, sought the government to allow holding the discussion.
Meghacahndra, at a media conference held at MPCC’s Imphal head office, said that the party MLAs would raise the current issue through different procedures of the house like calling attention motion, short duration discussion, private members resolution etc.
On the othe other hand, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent civil body of the state, has also submitted a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to annul the SoO pact with the Kuki militants.
Tuesday’s protests staged by a battery of civil bodies and women vigilante groups, besides seeking to invalidate the SoO , also urged the government to remove Assam Rifles from the state, accusing the paramilitary forces of siding with Kuki militants since the conflict unfolded in the state on May 3 last year.
