Former Army Chief calls for PR in Manipur

New Delhi, Nov 24
As the situation continues to deteriorate in Manipur, with the ongoing state of violence signalling towards the failure of the elected Government in handling the situation, Former Army Chief General Ved Prakash Malik, who had served as the Chief of Army Staff during the Kargil War in 1999, said, “The time has come to bring in a change of guard in Manipur.”
The former Army chief, who had extensive experience in the North East during his service days emphasised, “We should have President’s Rule under Article 356. The time has come to establish Governor’s rule with an effective unified command under him.”
Here are the excerpts from the interview –
Q: What is your assessment on the ongoing ethnic turbulence in Manipur? How do you see it?
A: It has been about 17-18 months and the violence continues. It’s an extremely tragic situation in Manipur as of now. All the tribes are fighting with each other, but particularly the conflict is between Kukis and Meiteis.  My feeling is that the current elected Government has not been able to control the situation, therefore, the violence has increased. So many people have died, their houses have been damaged, and they are forced to live in shelter homes.
Therefore, I think that it is high time now that we should have the President’s Rule under Article 356. This would enable a more effective unified command, under which all paramilitary forces, local police, Assam Rifles, and, if need be, the army, would come together.
But I think the priority now is to first halt the violence which is going on between these tribes, and address infiltration from Myanmar. Once we are able to maintain law and order by recovering the stolen weapons and putting an end to violence, we should focus on rebuilding trust and having political talks. At this stage, political discussions will not be possible as there is a complete lack of trust in the current State Government.
Q: A couple of days ago, the Centre deployed nearly 5,000 additional paramilitary troops. How do you see it? Can it bring peace?
A: It is not a question of deploying more and more troops. The question is having people who can be effective under proper command, which is not happening.
Q: You believe that there’s a lack of coordination?
A: Absolutely. There seems to be a poor understanding of the situation, as well as lack of coordination. The fact is that if you have an ineffective commander leading all the troops, you will not get the results. Deploying more troops to some extent may be required, but simply increasing the number of troops cannot solve the crisis and bring peace.
The additional troops being deployed are coming from other regions, and it will take time for them to understand the ground situation. Having dealt with such situations in my own career, you need people who understand how these tribes function.
If the Chief Minister’s house is being attacked by militants, it means that there is absolutely no control in Imphal.
Q: People are arguing that this lack of coordination between the State Government and the Centre is also to blame for the ongoing clashes. So, what should be done to solve this crisis?
A: The fact is that there has been a sheer lack of coordination between Centre and State Government. It means that the Chief Minister is not being effective in managing the situation, both with the Centre and within his own State.
A change is needed, and it should be one that is impartial. The person who takes over should be known for their impartiality and experience.
Time has come to establish Governor’s rule with an effective unified command under him. At present, the command is functioning under the ineffective leadership of the Chief Minister.
Q: Do you think that imposing AFSPA in several districts can resolve the crisis?
A: AFSPA is only an authority, or I would say, a rule which permits the armed forces to carry out their search and operations, as well as, taking on the militants, under a particular clause.
AFSPA is not the answer for everything. It is only to facilitate the functioning of the army, but it is not a solution.
The Sunday Guardian