Manipur's security shift: Assam rifles units replaced by CRPF amid local support
Singh who is the son in law of Chief Minister of N biren Singh stated in X, “The phasing out of the two units of AR from Manipur is welcomed by the people of Manipur. It is being replaced by other central forces who will work to ensure peace and stability in the region. The central government has initiated this as per the wishes and desire of the people of Manipur. The people will welcome more such stringent and positive measures to halt this violence.”
Singh was replying to a post of Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba where he shared details of movement of the troops. The MP stated, “Started Phasing out of 9th & 22nd Assam Rifles from Manipur and will be replaced by other central forces soon”.
Centre has rushed two additional battalions of CRPF. Around 2,000 personnel are deployed in fresh deployment.
Sources in the Manipur government said that the battalion number 58 is being moved from Warangal in Telangana while the one numbered 112 is being sent from Latehar in Jharkhand. The first is being deployed in Churachandpur. Earlier CRPF was deployed in Jiribam district.Sources added two Assam Rifles battalions were withdrawn from Manipur for operational duties in Jammu and Kashmir and some other parts of the Northeast.
On Monday thousands of Kuki-Zomi tribe people came out on the streets of Kangpokpi District Headquarters protesting the removal of the 9 and 22 Battalions of Assam Rifles from Kangpokpi and Churachandpur.
Imo Singh in a letter to Union Home minister Amit Shah recently said that the presence of around 60000 central forces in Manipur is not yielding peace, thus it’s better to remove such forces who are mostly present as mute spectators.
Manipur has witnessed repeated incidents of arms loot since May 3 last year. At least 226people have been killed, 1,500 injured and 60,000 displaced since violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities on May 3 last year.
The riots began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
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