Manipur: Additional 307 Looted Arms and Ammunition Surrendered Ahead of Deadline
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Synopsis
On February 27, several organizations and individuals surrendered 307 looted arms and significant ammunition in Manipur, coinciding with the government’s final deadline. This voluntary action, prompted by Governor Bhalla’s appeal, aims to restore peace and communal harmony in the state amid ongoing ethnic tensions.
Key Takeaways
- 307 looted arms and ammunition surrendered.
- Voluntary surrender aims to restore peace in Manipur.
- Governor Bhalla's appeal prompted the surrender.
- Community organizations played a vital role.
- Legal action threatened for non-compliance.
Imphal, Feb 27 (NationPress) On the concluding day of the Manipur government’s deadline for returning stolen arms and ammunition, numerous organizations, including the Arambai Tengol, along with individuals, surrendered 307 looted arms and a significant quantity of ammunition to local security forces, as confirmed by officials.
A senior police official noted that in response to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla's call for the return of illegally held weapons, a total of 307 arms, primarily advanced firearms, and a substantial assortment of ammunition were deposited across both valley and hill districts.
Various groups, including the radical Meitei faction Arambai Tengol, along with youth volunteers, community leaders, civil society organizations (CSOs), and women’s groups, have been instrumental in facilitating the return of these looted and illegally held weapons.
Out of the 307 arms surrendered, 246 weapons were deposited by the Arambai Tengol members at the First Manipur Rifle Campus in Imphal, while the remaining 61 arms were surrendered at various locations in both hilly and valley districts.
“Such voluntary weapon surrender is expected to significantly aid in restoring peace, communal harmony, and lawfulness within the state of Manipur,” stated the official.
With the surrender on Thursday, over 610 looted and illegally held weapons, including numerous sophisticated arms and a large assortment of ammunition, have been handed over to security forces since the Governor’s appeal on February 20.
The Governor previously indicated that if individuals failed to return the looted and illegally held arms and ammunition within the seven-day timeframe, strict legal measures would follow.
The police official emphasized that as the seven-day period for voluntary surrender concludes on Thursday, all individuals, particularly the youth, are earnestly urged to come forward and hand over any looted or illegally held arms to the nearest police station, security posts, or camps.
“Community leaders, CSOs, and women’s organizations are requested to continue supporting the surrender process,” he added.
During this period, no punitive actions will be taken against those who voluntarily surrender their weapons.
“However, any individual found with illegal or looted arms after the deadline will face appropriate legal consequences,” warned the police official.
This is a final and crucial opportunity “for everyone to contribute to peace, communal harmony, securing our youths' future, and the safety of our society.”
“We urge all those still in possession of such weapons to seize this last chance to surrender without fear of prosecution during the specified period. Together, we can strive for a safer and more secure future for Manipur. Together, we can,” he concluded.
A delegation from Arambai Tengol met the Governor on February 25, presenting a 9-point demand aimed at resolving the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state. Their demands included the establishment of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the base year, the deportation of illegal immigrants, the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with militant factions, the destruction of poppy plantations, and reinstating the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meitei (Meetei) community. Additionally, they sought the withdrawal of ST status from illegal immigrants, and requested no arrests or legal actions against village volunteers, including those from Arambai Tengol, by any commission, tribunal, court, or agency.
Meanwhile, a coordinating committee of the Kuki-Zo Community village volunteers urged the Central government on Wednesday to take immediate action to restore peace, security, and normalcy for the tribal communities and the state of Manipur. They expressed a willingness to lay down arms if their four demands are met, which include establishing a separate administration (Union Territory with legislative powers) for Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, withdrawing Manipur Police from these regions, total surrender of looted arms by Meitei groups, and legal protection for Kuki-Zo village volunteers.
Reports indicate that during the ethnic riots between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities that began on May 3, 2023, over 6,000 sophisticated arms and vast quantities of ammunition were looted from police stations and outposts by mobs and militants. Security forces have successfully recovered a substantial number of these looted arms.
