Manipur CMO backtracks on its earlier input
In an unusual move, Manipur Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh issued a joint statement on Wednesday night stating that a recent intelligence input issued by the Chief Minister’s Office on “over 900 Kuki militants” entering the state from Myanmar could not be substantiated on the ground.
Soon afterwards, the CMO also backtracked on its earlier input.
On September 17, an intelligence input from the CMO to the DGP, Security Advisor, Chief Secretary and Home Commissioner was “leaked” and widely circulated, spreading panic among residents of Manipur’s Meitei-majority valley.
It stated that “over 900 Kuki militants, newly trained in the use of drone-based bombs, projectiles, missiles and jungle warfare, have entered Manipur from Myanmar”. It went on to state that they are grouped in units of 30 and are “scattered in the periphery”, and that they are “expected to launch multiple coordinated attacks on Meitei villages around September 28”.
Days later, Security Advisor Singh addressed reporters on September 20 and said that security agencies, particularly the Assam Rifles, have been put on high alert in the hill districts bordering Myanmar in light of the input. He said that the matter was discussed in a Strategic Operation Group meeting chaired by him, bringing together top officials from various security agencies, including the Army, Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, and state police.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
His statement had been criticised by Kuki-Zo groups, with the the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum saying he was amplifying “devious propaganda to defame the Kuki-Zo people and use it as a pretext to attack Kuki-Zo volunteers”.
On Wednesday, the two top security officials of the state issued a “clarification”, stating that “the input was verified from different quarters, but it could not be substantiated on ground”.
“However, security forces deployed on the ground are placed on a high alert to protect the lives and properties of citizens. All communities are assured of their safety. They are advised not to believe in any rumours or unverified information,” reads the statement.
Following the joint statement, the CMO also wrote to the Information and Public Relations Department as well as the security officials backtracking on its earlier input.
“Based on information gathered on movement of armed groups, this office had shared intelligence inputs… to enable the police department to use its machinery and network to develop the said information so as to determine actionability. It is now ascertained that possibility of any such misadventure by armed groups is remote. The public need not worry further in this regard,” reads the note, requesting that the public relations department circulate the information with the public.
The Indian Express had last week reported on the breakdown in the relationship between Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the security establishment in the state, particularly the Security Advisor and the DGP.
This was the second time that intelligence inputs sent by the CMO to the top security officials had been “leaked” into public domain. Earlier, days after Jiribam district saw violence in June, a communication sent from the CMO to them was released, which referred to an alert sent by the CMO in January on reports of the movement of “about 200 Kuki-Zo militants from Churachandpur to areas bordering Jiribam”.