Imphal

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Friday further extended by one week the time given for the return of looted and illegal weapons and ammunition to the security forces.

He also warned that later "strict legal action would be taken as per law for possession of such arms and ammunition."

Senior police officials said that till February 27 over 610 looted and illegally-held weapons, including many sophisticated arms and a huge cache of ammunition, were returned to security forces since the Governor made the appeal for the first time on February 20.

Governor Bhalla in his fresh appeal on Friday said, “The request (on February 20) has yielded a positive response. Upon expiry of the seven days’ deadline for voluntary surrender of such arms, there has been demand from both valley and hill areas to extend the period for surrender. I have considered the request and decided to extend the deadline up to 4 p.m. of March 6 for voluntary surrender of such arms.”

The Governor said that all those who are still holding such arms are requested to voluntarily come forward and surrender looted and illegally-held weapons and ammunition to the nearest police station or outpost or security forces’ camp by March 6.

“During this period no punitive action would be taken against the individuals who voluntarily surrender weapons. However, any person found in possession of illegal or looted arms after the given deadline will face legal action as per law.”

Further, the police and security forces would be taking up extensive search operations after the end of the deadline, Bhalla said.

The Governor said that this was the last opportunity for everyone concerned to contribute to peace, communal harmony and safeguarding the future of the youth and security in society.

“We again request all those still in possession of such weapons to avail themselves of this final chance to surrender them without any fear of prosecution within the given period,” he said.

According to various reports during the ethnic riots between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3, 2023, more than 6,000 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of pieces of different types of ammunition were looted from police stations and outposts by the mobs and radical outfits.

The security forces, so far, have recovered a substantial number of the looted arms.

On Thursday, the last date of the first seven-day period of surrender of arms, several organisations including the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol and individuals surrendered 307 looted arms and a large cache of ammunition to the security forces in the state.

Police officials said that various groups including the radical Meitei group Arambai Tenggol and youth volunteers, community leaders, civil society organisations and women organisations, have played a significant role in returning looted and illegally-held weapons and ammunition at the First Manipur Rifle Campus in Imphal while 61 more arms were surrendered at other places in both hills and valley districts.

A delegation of Arambai Tenggol on February 25 met the Governor and submitted a 9-point demand to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state. It demanded the introduction of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the base year, deportation of illegal immigrants, abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with militant groups, destruction of poppy plantations and reinstating the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of the Meitei community.

They also demanded the withdrawal of ST status from illegal immigrants, and no arrest or legal action against village volunteers and Arambai Tenggol by any commission, tribunal, court or authority and agency.

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On the other hand, a coordinating committee of the Kuki-Zo Community village volunteers on Wednesday urged the Central government to take immediate steps to restore peace, security, and normalcy for the tribals and the state of Manipur as well and expressed willingness to lay down arms if their four-point demands are met.

Their demands include a separate administration (Union Territory with legislative powers) for Kuki-Zo tribal-inhabited areas, the withdrawal of Manipur Police from Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, total surrender of looted arms by Meitei groups, and legal protection for Kuki-Zo village volunteers.