On record : Not AR personnel ‘Allowed’ to burn for 4 days ?

A clarification is in line as the personnel who were accused by some youths of aiding arsonists in setting some houses on fire were not Assam Rifles personnel but Army personnel. It is also on record that Manipur Police have booked two persons for allegedly raising false allegations against the security personnel at Litan Sareikhong, the video clip of which went viral. This is about the Government and its agencies taking up due course of action according to the law of the land and one wish that such speedy line of action had been taken up earlier to avert the tragedy that has now besieged Litan, a settlement on the Imphal-Ukhrul road. The swift response of the State police or the State Government is noted and this should invariably raise the question of what the security personnel were doing in the four days that violence and arson enveloped Litan. Trouble started in the evening of February 7 and in the next three days, that is on February 8, 9 and 10, the mob ruled the streets and roads of Litan. And as pointed out in an earlier commentary here, Litan is not a big place that it would have stretched the security personnel. Action has been taken up on the said video clip and this is where one is left wondering about the other video clips, which showed some ‘bravehearts‘ firing randomly from an incomplete RCC building. Or was this video clip also fake ? If the answer is in the affirmative then due clarification is what is expected from the Government. Or better still how about the vide clip showing a young Kuki man, armed to the teeth and openly challenging the Tangkhul Naga with the term ‘Kacha Naga’ as well as the Meiteis. Now who is responsible for this particular video clip ? Who has shared this clip and has any initiative been taken up to identify those responsible for making it go viral ? Answers are needed from the Government for in such a situation it cannot come across as an entity which takes up selective action. This is important for if not handled properly and on time, the chances of the situation escalating and going from acts of targeting houses could morph into something more dangerous. Surely the Government does not want this and to avert such a situation, it has to demonstrate that it is here to help defuse the situation, a situation which has gone on for four full days. Surely the Government would not have forgotten that Litan comes under Ukhrul district and Ukhrul is generally seen as the place which has given the bulk of the brains and muscle power to the NSCN (IM). What if the said outfit takes the plunge and becomes directly involved in the feud ?  Or is the Government waiting for such an eventuality to materialise ? This is where a lot depends on the conduct of the men in uniform, the men who are out there to ensure the rule of law.
Imphal to Ukhrul road totally cut off for the moment. A disturbing reminder of the way in which National Highway-2 has been cut off since the evening of May 3, 2023. Or is it a case of the Government wanting to let the stand off on NH-2 take a new birth on the Imphal-Ukhrul road ? Only the Government can answer this but answer it must for it is answerable to the people. What steps has the Government taken to help defuse the situation ? Apart from rushing in additional security forces, such as troops from the 4 Mahar Regiment, 8 Bihar Regiment, para commandos and the RAF, the Government has gone ahead and suspended internet service, first at Ukhrul district and later on at Lhungtim sub-division of Kangpokpi district and Phungyar dub-division of Kamjong district. Here too the ham handedness of the Government came in full public view when the net was suspended only in Ukhrul district and it was only later that good sense prevailed and the net suspension was also extended to a part of Kangpokpi district. The Government should stop reacting and learn to respond to the unfolding situation. The days since the evening of February 7 should more than testify this observation.