Guwahati hosts seminar to discuss peace, militancy

Peace is essential for ensuring development of any region. Recently, a seminar on peace and militancy was here held to discuss solutions to various threats that plague the region.

The two-day seminar titled "Peace Audit-Northeast" was organised by the New Delhi based Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies and the Centre for Development and Peace Studies, Guwahati.

The discourse focused on positive developments taking place in the northeast to counter militancy and promote peace, besides considering an overview of government policies.

The participants included journalists, security and army officials, bureaucrats, professors and students. The panel took up several issues like the demand for separate states, arms, peace deals, factional groups and taxation by various outfits among other crucial topics.

"Insurgency is kept alive by money, the flow of funds, which is basically done through extortion. This is going on even today. Unfortunately, some of the groups that are under ceasefire are also indulging in extortion. Police have arrested some of these cadres for their involvement. This has to stop," Wasbir Hussain, Executive Director, CDPS

The experts expressed concern over the trend of demand for separate state by people of different communities.

Chitra Ahanthem, Associate Editor of the Imphal Free Press, highlighted threats posed by militant groups to the free press.

"The media in Manipur is working under extreme pressure. In fact, just last to last month, we had to shut down for 2 days because we had been threatened. Media had been threatened that in case we didn't release a particular press release that the media thought was not necessary because we couldn't verify the claims being made. They threatened to shoot the journalist," Ahanthem said.

Militancy is a major hurdle in the growth and development of the northeastern region. The government is making all possible attempts to ensure that peace and normalcy return to the area as soon as possible.