The ethnic strife in Manipur has transformed into a battle of narratives that continues to be driven by falsehoods such as the use of drones to drop bombs and 900 militants trained in Myanmar infiltrating the state for targeted attacks, Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the second edition of the Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2024, organised by the Indian Army in collaboration with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, Gen Dwivedi touched upon three controversial issues linked to the violence in Manipur.
These included the alleged burning of a culturally and historically significant public installation of the Kuki tribes on May 3, 2023, the recent row over a leaked intelligence report that warned of some 900 Kuki militants preparing to enter India from Myanmar via the border in Manipur and the alleged use of drones by militants to drop bombs targeting homes and IRB bunkers in the valley in September.
"So as far as the Manipur problem is concerned, it all started in May 2023 with a rumour that there was an Anglo-Kuki war centenary gate, which was being burnt. It was not being burnt. I have gone on ground and confirmed it with everyone. That rumour-mongering led to major violence, which is yet to be stabilised," General Dwivedi said.
The Army chief also denied the use of weaponised drones to drop bombs on civilians, terming the allegation a "false narrative".
"There was a narrative of drones dropping bombs. We went on the ground and checked. There was no drone bombing. There was another wrong narrative that said 900 anti-national elements had infiltrated. We checked. There was nothing like that. So if we control that (false narratives), I think things will be alright," General Dwivedi said.
The remarks by the Army chief assume significance since the violence on May 3 was triggered by rumours of Meitei people burning the war centenary gate in Churachandpur. While the Kukis have maintained this allegation, the Meiteis have denied it all along.
Manipur's security adviser Kuldiep Singh said the govt had received intelligence inputs of about "900 Kuki militants" trained in Mayanmar entering the state to attack villages in the Imphal Valley. The claim was retracted days later stating that the inputs could not be substantiated. Notably, the reports of a series of bomb droppings were also reported by the N Biren Singh-led govermment in the state.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the input regarding the infiltration of 900 militants from Myanmar was first sent by the Secretary to the Manipur CM on September 16. The input was then forwarded by Manipur DGP Rajiv Singh’s office to different police units across the state.
Highlighting the need to end the narrative of falsehoods, the Army chief said that such "narratives" were still being spun and given credence to by a section of the state government.
Notably, the case of the September 1 drone attacks is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Manipur police and the state government have confirmed their use at the Koutruk village.
Police have maintained that militants fired bombs and bullets at the village along with explosives dropped by drones, a claim Kuki groups have denied, terming it as a “fake narrative” being circulated by chief minister N Biren Singh, who is a Meitei.
General Dwivedi also touched upon the alleged involvement of Maynmar in providing assistance to the Kuki militants in manipur. “As far as external support is concerned, Myanmar is having its own problems... They also have some people who are getting displaced. When they are getting displaced, where will they go? They will only go to those places which are peaceful and ready to accept them, and that's what is happening in Mizoram and Manipur. So those people who are coming, they are coming unarmed and they are coming for some kind of shelter, and India will make sure that they are provided shelter, food and support till the time we can," he said.
The Army chief further observed that there is a polarisation between the communities and that a "whole-of-nation approach" is required in Manipur, where over 230 people have lost their lives in the violence since May last year.
“The situation may be stable today, but it is tense," General Dwivedi said.
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