Doubt Centre will approve House resolutions on SoO, NRC, FMR : MIYC

IMPHAL, Mar 19 : The Manipur International Youth Centre has accused the Centre and the State Government of scheming to take political mileage  out of the prevailing situation in Manipur despite failing to restore normalcy.
MIYC, in a statement, asked all to be wary of some political leaders who  have been plotting to make people forget about the genuine issue the State has been enduring and lure them towards the electioneering process.
Manipur may disintegrate if the challenges being thrown against the indigenous people are overlooked, the Youth Centre forewarned.
Reminding about the resolutions taken in favour of scrapping the Suspension of Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, updating National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the context of Manipur, cancelling Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar and  erecting fences along the stretch of Indo-Myanmar border in the recent Assembly session which concluded on March 5, MIYC asked if there will be lasting solution to the chronic issues of the State if all the resolutions are implemented by the Central Government.
MIYC claimed that the NRC exercise in Assam was unsuccessful as not a single illegal immigrant detected during the exercise has been deported as of yet.
Saying that it would be meaningless to carry out the Assam model of NRC in Manipur, the MIYC called for a collaboration between the State Government and the people to ascertain the process in which NRC will be rolled out in Manipur in case the Centre approves the resolutions of the State Assembly.
The Youth Centre claimed that illegal Kuki-Zo people residing in Manipur are being protected by some politicians and the old Kukis.
Stating that India is not a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention of 1951 and the 1967 Refugee Protocol, MIYC expressed doubt that India will sign an agreement to deport illegal immigrants with Myanmar given the geopolitics of the country.
India has its own Foreigners Act but lakhs of illegal immigrants reside in the country, it added.
On SoO, MIYC contended that people still don't know whether the pact signed between the Government and two dozen Kuki militant groups is still operational or not as the pact hasn't been renewed following its expiry on February 29.
MIYC went on to state that Kuki militant groups have been recruiting cadres and violating the  ground rules of SoO since the pact came into force.
Under the cover of SoO, Kuki militant groups have been bringing in illegal immigrants from Myanmar and engaging in narco-terrorism by planting poppies widely, MIYC said and claimed that the violent campaign taken out against the Meeteis is a part of the  Zalen'gam movement.
Further claiming that the Government of India has been using Kuki militants from time to time and at the time of election, MIYC continued that the Government gave a stipend of Rs 27.38 crore in the course of Manipur violence too.
It is unlikely that the Government of India will abrogate the SoO pact after considering all these circumstances, MIYC said.
The border fencing work also won't complete any time soon even if it is implemented and may take hundreds of years in fencing the entire stretch of the international border given the pace of work, MIYC said and added that FMR largely works in the interest of India and as such it is is unlikely that the regime will be cancelled.
MIYC went on to state that chieftainship tradition of Kuki-Zo people is the major factor behind the rise of several new villages in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Pherzawl, Tengnoupal etc.
In view of all these challenges confronting Manipur it would be wrong to be swayed by political speeches, MIYC said and called for a far-sighted vision to safeguard Manipur.