R
ecent developments have more or less conveyed the point that the much hyped tripartite Suspension of Operations between New Delhi, Imphal and Kuki armed groups, may not be proceeding in the right direction at all. And it goes without saying that the primary factor for this is the failure to adhere to the ground rules, scripted for the successful implementation of the truce call. The detention of two girls, by a group, which is a signatory to the SoO, is an example, of how some of these groups continue to operate under the immunity granted by the agreement, signed with the Government. The two girls, as the report went, were rescued by alert villagers, who heard their cries, but this has not in any way diminished the growing perception that the SoO has hardly managed to keep a check on the activities of the groups concerned. The recent ransacking of Nungshong village, allegedly by another outfit which is a party to the SoO, also goes to prove this point. In as much as the armed groups have to be held accountable for the blatant violations of the cease fire ground rules, the Government too cannot escape from its responsibilities. For instance, have Delhi and Imphal managed to identify and set up all the designated camps ? How about the safe house, where the arms of the cadres are to be deposited ? Have any action been taken up when the ground rules are violated ? Apart from these unanswered questions, there is also the growing uneasiness and suspicion, that some of the security forces, might be using the service of some of these cadres, to neutralise or strike out at other groups, which are not a party to the truce pact. Such tactics and strategies are not only mischievous but also extremely dangerous, for it can have communal intonations.
Any suspension of hostility should always be welcomed and hailed, for this is the first step in the journey towards peace and normalcy. However when any such truce pact is seen and understood as the perfect alibi to the armed groups to regroup and regain lost ground, by taking advantage of the immunity granted to them, then it rings hollow. On the one hand, it means, enjoying the largesse of the Government in the form, of what they call monthly stipend and on the other hand, it means, giving them a free hand to pursue their agenda. Peace and the truth are the only casualties in such cases. It is the people who suffer from such a situation, for under the facade of peace and normalcy, the common people continue to be pulled and pushed in different directions, by both the State and non-State actors. The peace that one talks about under such circumstances is merely the guns going silent, which again can be misleading, if we take the recent reported shoot out at Mokot Chephu village under Litan police station. Peace, in its true essence, should mean something much more than merely the guns going silent, but should entail, giving the opportunity to the people to live without an air of fear or tension hanging over their heads. Can we really say this has been achieved, with the enforcement of the SoO ? The answer should be known to all and herein lies exposed the irony of the peace pact.
ecent developments have more or less conveyed the point that the much hyped tripartite Suspension of Operations between New Delhi, Imphal and Kuki armed groups, may not be proceeding in the right direction at all. And it goes without saying that the primary factor for this is the failure to adhere to the ground rules, scripted for the successful implementation of the truce call. The detention of two girls, by a group, which is a signatory to the SoO, is an example, of how some of these groups continue to operate under the immunity granted by the agreement, signed with the Government. The two girls, as the report went, were rescued by alert villagers, who heard their cries, but this has not in any way diminished the growing perception that the SoO has hardly managed to keep a check on the activities of the groups concerned. The recent ransacking of Nungshong village, allegedly by another outfit which is a party to the SoO, also goes to prove this point. In as much as the armed groups have to be held accountable for the blatant violations of the cease fire ground rules, the Government too cannot escape from its responsibilities. For instance, have Delhi and Imphal managed to identify and set up all the designated camps ? How about the safe house, where the arms of the cadres are to be deposited ? Have any action been taken up when the ground rules are violated ? Apart from these unanswered questions, there is also the growing uneasiness and suspicion, that some of the security forces, might be using the service of some of these cadres, to neutralise or strike out at other groups, which are not a party to the truce pact. Such tactics and strategies are not only mischievous but also extremely dangerous, for it can have communal intonations.
Any suspension of hostility should always be welcomed and hailed, for this is the first step in the journey towards peace and normalcy. However when any such truce pact is seen and understood as the perfect alibi to the armed groups to regroup and regain lost ground, by taking advantage of the immunity granted to them, then it rings hollow. On the one hand, it means, enjoying the largesse of the Government in the form, of what they call monthly stipend and on the other hand, it means, giving them a free hand to pursue their agenda. Peace and the truth are the only casualties in such cases. It is the people who suffer from such a situation, for under the facade of peace and normalcy, the common people continue to be pulled and pushed in different directions, by both the State and non-State actors. The peace that one talks about under such circumstances is merely the guns going silent, which again can be misleading, if we take the recent reported shoot out at Mokot Chephu village under Litan police station. Peace, in its true essence, should mean something much more than merely the guns going silent, but should entail, giving the opportunity to the people to live without an air of fear or tension hanging over their heads. Can we really say this has been achieved, with the enforcement of the SoO ? The answer should be known to all and herein lies exposed the irony of the peace pact.
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