Imphal | March 11 : Chief minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh today appealed to underground groups particularly the "valley based" ones to abjure violence and come forward for peace talks with the government for sustained political solution.
The peace invitation was extended by the chief minister at the floor of the House on the third day of the 10th session of ongoing 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly today in reply to a query moved by opposition leader and former chief minister Radhabinod Koijam, V Hangkhanlian etc.
Radhabinod Koijam said that the Governor’s address on the opening day of the Assembly session did not include the initiatives taken up by the government to usher in peace in the State. A golden opportunity has presented itself before the government to initiate a peace dialogue with the chairman of UNLF RK Meghen, advised Radhabinod. Significantly, the jailed chairman of the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) was reportedly arrested from Motihari district in Bihar which the outfit and Meghen himself vehemently denied and termed as “staged managed by Delhi”. BBC report had substantiated the report in favour of UNLF though.
The government is exploring all possible ways through its various agencies to have peace talks with the underground groups of the State operating from within and without, he said, adding that there are broadly two approaches to peace talks viz. the NSCM-IM–Central Government approach or tripartite approach involving the State and Central Government such as Suspension of Operation (SoO) signed between the State and Central governments and Kuki underground groups under two umbrella United People’s Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organization (KNO).
The chief minister spoke vigorously at the floor of the House on the need to bring about political dialogue with underground groups for a sustained solution to the decades old insurgency problem of the State. The government will attempt to bring promptly a sustainable political solution with the SoO signatories for which frequent meetings of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) have been initiated with leaders of the two Kuki underground groups, UPF and KNO, said the chief minister. He went on to say that it is also obligatory for the underground groups to come forward for talks for the sake of the future of Manipur even though 100 percent of their demands may not be realized.
MLA V Hangkhanlian said that even though the Governor’s address touched upon the achievement of the State government in bringing the two Kuki underground groups, UPF and KNO, under SoO, and consequently settling them in their respective designated camps with their arms and ammunitions put behind closed doors, the address felt short of underscoring just how long they are going to be kept in the camps and how long is the agreement binding on them. The government needs to have a time bound approach for a sustainable peace with the SoO groups, he said.
The peace invitation was extended by the chief minister at the floor of the House on the third day of the 10th session of ongoing 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly today in reply to a query moved by opposition leader and former chief minister Radhabinod Koijam, V Hangkhanlian etc.
Radhabinod Koijam said that the Governor’s address on the opening day of the Assembly session did not include the initiatives taken up by the government to usher in peace in the State. A golden opportunity has presented itself before the government to initiate a peace dialogue with the chairman of UNLF RK Meghen, advised Radhabinod. Significantly, the jailed chairman of the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) was reportedly arrested from Motihari district in Bihar which the outfit and Meghen himself vehemently denied and termed as “staged managed by Delhi”. BBC report had substantiated the report in favour of UNLF though.
The government is exploring all possible ways through its various agencies to have peace talks with the underground groups of the State operating from within and without, he said, adding that there are broadly two approaches to peace talks viz. the NSCM-IM–Central Government approach or tripartite approach involving the State and Central Government such as Suspension of Operation (SoO) signed between the State and Central governments and Kuki underground groups under two umbrella United People’s Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organization (KNO).
The chief minister spoke vigorously at the floor of the House on the need to bring about political dialogue with underground groups for a sustained solution to the decades old insurgency problem of the State. The government will attempt to bring promptly a sustainable political solution with the SoO signatories for which frequent meetings of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) have been initiated with leaders of the two Kuki underground groups, UPF and KNO, said the chief minister. He went on to say that it is also obligatory for the underground groups to come forward for talks for the sake of the future of Manipur even though 100 percent of their demands may not be realized.
MLA V Hangkhanlian said that even though the Governor’s address touched upon the achievement of the State government in bringing the two Kuki underground groups, UPF and KNO, under SoO, and consequently settling them in their respective designated camps with their arms and ammunitions put behind closed doors, the address felt short of underscoring just how long they are going to be kept in the camps and how long is the agreement binding on them. The government needs to have a time bound approach for a sustainable peace with the SoO groups, he said.
