Imphal: In a major development, the Assam Rifles has written to the Manipur Police saying that a few Meitei miscreants have acquired old trucks and painted them in same colours like the force’s along with its insignia.
The letter, a copy of which is with ThePrint, stated that such vehicles were spotted in the Kakching area of Manipur and demanded that pre-emptive action be taken to avert any kind of adverse incident.
“It is reliably learnt that few Meitei miscreants with the help of Valley Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs) have acquired many used TATA 407 from the civil market and have converted them to resemble the TATA 407 vehicles being used by Assam Rifles,” the letter, written on 18 September, says.
“Conversion of civil vehicle to look alike of Assam Rifles vehicle clearly shows the nefarious intention of VBIGs to tarnish the Image of Assam Rifles or to utilise the same vehicle for anti-national activities (sic),” it adds.
According to a source in the security establishment, a big challenge in Manipur’s security scenario is the involvement of former cadres of insurgent groups, including people who had surrendered arms, in the attacks against communities. The source said that many surrendered cadres have started training locals on how to operate weapons.
Amid the ongoing violence, many VBIGs who were earlier pushed from Manipur have now resurfaced in the state, a second source in the security establishment said, making the situation even more precarious. These are groups who were staying put in the jungles of Myanmar at the border but have now returned to fight for their community, the source claimed.
Moreover, there have been many instances of armed civilians walking around in police uniforms in the valley. On 16 September, five Meteis were arrested from Imphal East and one of them allegedly was a former People Liberation Army operative.
According to police sources, the case of the five Metei men is not the solitary incidence of those not part of the forces donning police uniforms and illegally picking up arms. Many such instances have been allegedly brought to their attention, creating a challenge for the forces.
“We received many inputs of policemen firing at the Kuki community on the fringes. Even some people from the security forces confirmed it to us. We later realised that it is not the police, but miscreants from Imphal valley who have started wearing police uniforms and moving around,” a source in the intelligence said.
In the case of the five arrested Meteis, police sources said, the five men sourced their uniform from Paona Bazaar in Imphal.
“Many locals have now started wearing uniforms of police, Manipur Rifles, commandos. It has become a menace. There are many vendors from Paona Bazar and Thangal Bazar in Imphal who have gotten into this business. Since there is no authorised vendor for police uniforms, and no license is required to sell these. It is being misused,” a second police source said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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