Manipur not an insurgency issue: CDS

The death toll from clashes since ethnic rioting began on May 3 in Manipur has gone up to 80, according to officials

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan on Tuesday said that the violence in Manipur was not linked to “insurgency” but a conflict involving people from two ethnicities, contradicting a political narrative emanating from the north eastern state.

“The current situation in Manipur has nothing to do with insurgency or counter-insurgency. It is primarily a clash between two ethnicities. It is a law and order situation and we are helping the state government,” Gen Chauhan said in Pune after presiding over the passing out ceremony at the National Defence Academy.

Gen Chauhan said while challenges in Manipur didn't disappear but the situation had improved in the recent years because of which the army was pulled out of the state. He said that he hoped that the current spell of violence would cease after some time.

The death toll in Manipur since the ethnic rioting began on May 3 has gone up to 80.

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Gen Chauhan’s comments came days after Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the violence that led to 80 deaths so far involved “Kuki militants” and security forces. Last Sunday, Singh said armed militants were involved in torching houses and firing at civilians, because of which security forces took action against them.

Manipur has been witnessing violence for close to a month primarily because of a tension between Kuki and Meitei communities and subsequent action taken by the security agencies. Around 140 columns of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, comprising over 10,000 personnel besides other paramilitary forces have been deployed to restore normalcy.

In Pune, Gen Chauhan reviewed the passing out parade of the 144th course at the NDA in which 356 cadets passed out. “We are witnessing a new revolution in military affairs mostly driven by technology. The armed forces of India are also on the path of a major transformation in jointness and integration, and creation of theaterised commands are on the anvil,” he said.

On the India-China boundary dispute and tension prevailing at the Line of Actual Control, Gen Chauhan said Chinese People’s Liberation Army deployment was not increasing day by day and was at the same level as it was in 2020.

“But there is a challenge and the armed forces are taking all kinds of steps so that there is no untoward situation. We have been able to get back to all places except two - Depsang and Demchok. Negotiations are on for these two sectors,” he added.