Imphal: Sensing a worsening law and order situation in the coming days in the state, the Manipur government has asked the Central government to immediately suspend all border fencing works along the Indo-Myanmar border where there are disputes between the two countries.
The request comes at a time when the United Committee Manipur, (UCM), a powerful and influential civil society organisation, earlier threatened to recruit suicidal teams to stop the fencing work, which is now currenly being executed from BP 79 to BP 81 covering a length of 10 km from Moreh to Kwatha by the Border Roads Organisation.
The UCM alleged that some of the border pillars especially BP 81 and BP 82 are shifted by a large distance on the Manipur (Indian) side by the Myanmarese authorities from the actual international border.
On Wednesday, a large number of UCM volunteers and sympathisers gathered in front of western gate of historic Kangla Gate and protested, which was eventually dispersed by police using tear gas shells.
In a letter addressed to the Union Home Secretary, Manipur’s special home secretary H Gyan Prakash asked the Centre to put the fencing work on hold and send an official team to hold a ‘thorough discussion’ on the position of the disputed border pillars.
Earlier, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, speaking on the sideline of an held held in Imphal, said a team of the Union Home Ministry will hold a meeting with the Myanmar government to sort out the issue soon. For those border areas where there are no disputes fencing work will continue as it is needed to prevent illegal influx of migrants and entry of illicit drugs, he added.
On the other hand, UCM president Joychandera Konthoujam asked the State government and the External Affairs Ministry to reconsider the demand and undertake what he called a “genuine demarcation process” of the Indo-Myanmar border. He also said that whoever is against the integrity of Manipur will be considered an enemy of Manipur. With agency inputs
