Manipur Meitei organisation demands more time to surrender illegal weapons

In response to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla's appeal to the people of the strife-torn state to voluntarily surrender looted and illegally held weapons within seven days, an umbrella body of Imphal-based civil society organisations of the Meiteis on Saturday requested him to "engage formally with local youth leaders to ensure a cooperative approach in recovering arms from civilian volunteers".

In a statement, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) also said that the "seven-day timeframe is too short for meaningful engagement with the stakeholders and the public." 

  Bhalla had on February 20 urged the people of the state to surrender weapons within seven days, assuring no punitive action would be initiated against those giving up arms during this period. He, however, had asserted that "strict action" would be taken after the expiry of the deadline.

COCOMI said, "We acknowledge this (governor's appeal for surrendering arms) as a necessary step under the law of the land. However, it is imperative to recognise the circumstances that led local youth to take up arms and loot weapons. This situation arose due to the incompetence of the government's security forces, which failed to protect vulnerable villages at the peak of the crisis.

Asserting that the seven-day timeframe for surrendering arms is too short for meaningful engagement with stakeholders and the public, the committee said, "An extension of time would allow for better public understanding and cooperation, helping to prevent any misunderstanding or resistance."  It also appealed to Bhalla that no legal action be taken against civilian volunteers who were compelled to defend their communities.

"The process of arms confiscation should not be limited to the looted weapons alone; it must also extend to the unaccounted number of illegal arms smuggled across the border and used by armed groups operating under the so-called Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the Centre," it said.

"Transparency is crucial, reports on the confiscation of arms from the hills must be made public to ensure a rational and fair approach," it added.

COCOMI also sought "assurance from the governor and relevant authorities that all armed Kuki militant camps under SoO in the surrounding hill areas be shifted to other locations so that law and order is fully restored. The government must come up with a concrete, foolproof plan to secure villages, instill a sense of safety among villagers and their volunteers, and provide a firm guarantee that no further attacks will take place," it said.