Manipur truce comes into force

IMPHAL, March 1: The one month long unilateral ceasefire announced by the state government and the 15 day truce offered by the Army came into effect from today. With the truce coming into effect all counter insurgency operation both by the central forces and State police have been suspended. No report of arrest, encounter and killing was reported today. Mention may be made here that in an unprecedented move, the new Chief minister Radhabinod Koijam had announced the one-month long unilateral ceasefire during a packed press conference at the Officers' Club of 1st MR on February 27. The truce would be in force till March 31. The GOC, 57 Mountain Division, Lt General Iqbal Singh had also announced on February 26 that the Army would suspend counter insurgency operations from March 1 to 15 as a gesture of good will during the Holi festival. A high-ranking police officer told The Sangai Express that following the announcement of ceasefire all forms of operation against militants have been suspended from this morning. He however added that State and paramilitary forces are on the alert to see that the condition laid down by the authority are not violated by the militants. The conditions stipulate that militants should refrain from carrying arms, intimidating the public, extortion and killings. They are also forbidden from moving around in camouflage fatigues. The vigilance would continue during the ceasefire period, he added. The senior police officer continued that though the ceasefire has come into force, police force would continue normal frisking and checking duties. To a question whether the police and security force would arrest any militant if they were found moving with arms, the officer answered that the Government is yet to give a clear cut instruction on how do deal with such situation. On the reaction by a particular underground organisation to the truce offer by the Government, the police officer said that the ceasefire would not be revoked just on the reaction of a single underground outfit as there are a number of underground outfits operating in the State. Security forces would abide by the ceasefire decision, he added. He further said the police and security forces would closely study the reactions of the underground outfits to the ceasefire offer. Talking to The Sangai Express, an army officer effused optimism that the unilateral ceasefire would elicit positive response from the militants. He said army personnel would abide by the announcement of the GOC and added that henceforth counter insurgency operations have been suspended.