Army renews operations in Manipur

IMPHAL, April 3: Security forces have resumed counter-insurgency operations in Manipur after holding fire for over a month. The resumption of counter-insurgency operations follows the Union home ministry's rejection of a proposal to extend the duration of the Yaoshang (Holi) ceasefire by another month. Sources said Army and Assam Rifles personnel had apprehended eight militants since resuming operations yesterday. Police are, however, yet to resume their offensive against militant outfits. Director-general of police D.S. Grewal told The Telegraph today that the state government was yet to issue any directive pertaining to resumption of operations. However, he said the police force was on alert and would begin operations as soon as the state government issued an order to this effect. Official sources said the confusion would be cleared only after Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam returned to the state from New Delhi on Thursday. The Koijam-led People's Front government had declared a unilateral ceasefire for a month on account of the Yaoshang festival. The truce came into effect on March 1. An all-party meeting convened by Koijam on March 27 endorsed the state government's proposal to extend the duration of the ceasefire by another month. However, Union home minister L.K. Advani objected to the proposal. Senior ministers in the Koijam Cabinet, however, said the final decision on the issue would be taken by the state government after the Chief Minister's return from New Delhi. Though the public's response to the unilateral ceasefire was positive, the Union home ministry reportedly opposed the move to extend it due to the recalcitrance of some insurgent outfits. Four major outfits - the United National Liberation Front, the Revolutionary People's Front, the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak and the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup - had rejected the unilateral ceasefire. Advani reportedly told Koijam that extending the duration of the ceasefire would be an exercise in futility as no major outfit had shown the desire to restore peace in Manipur. Ex-rebels peeved: Over 100 surrendered militants have threatened to leave their rehabilitation centre in protest against the state government's new policy of recruiting only those former rebels who pass a fitness test and have the requisite qualifications. The surrendered militants who are now in the police barracks at Pandon in Imphal have been demanding jobs in the police force without any tests. The state government altered its rehabilitation policy in accordance with a directive from the Union home ministry. The surrendered militants staged a sit-in demonstration yesterday and set April 15 as the deadline for the government to fulfil their demands.