'State police will become stronger in a year'
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 04 2009:
Manipur's insurgent groups have their camps in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, according to state Director General of Police (DGP), Y Joykumar.
In an exclusive talk with Hueiyen Lanpao, DGP Joykumar said, the Indian security forces are facing problems in launching operation against the insurgents�who are operating along the border�as most of the camps are inside the territory of Myanmar.
The DGP, however, refused to comment on whether the Military Junta of Myanmar is providing assistance to the Manipur insurgents.
The State Police had also written to the Union Home Ministry urging for clearing the presence of militants along the Indo-Myanmar border, which is a safe haven for the militants.
Police had also held talks with top Indian Army officials on the matter, he said.
The government is making efforts diplomatically with the Myanmar government in order to destroy the camps of the Manipur militants within the territory of Myanmar.
The DGP observed that since the time of former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Khalida Zia, the Bangladesh government had refused to take action against the North-East militants.
However, the Bangladesh government has begun to lay hands on the militants since the beginning of the reign of the present PM, Sheikh Hassina.
Myanmar authority is able to arrest ULFA leaders.
The main reason for the possibility of this is, the ULFA leaders were staying at the camps permanently with the knowledge of Bangladesh authority, he said.
Arresting ULFA leaders is not a major problem for them.
The case is not the same with Manipur militants.
They (Manipur militants) are making their bases without the knowledge of any authority.
And their stay is temporary.
The militants from the state are changing their camps frequently.
Therefore, there has been no news about the arrest of Manipur militants in Bangladesh.
The close association of the state militants and Muslim insurgents is also another factor that incommodes the Bangladesh authority in arresting Manipuri militants, Joykumar said.
The top police official further observed that many militants of the state are making Nepali's capital, Katmandu as a safe hideout.
He said, the Manipur police have enough evidences about the presence of Manipur militants at Katmandu.
He refused to comment which particular insurgent groups are taking shelter in Katmandu.
Y Joykumar revealed that the militant groups are making a great deal of efforts to get foreign aids.
He said, the police department is in possession of information about the close association and link of Maoists rebels and a particular rebel group of the state.
Without mentioning the name of the group, DGP Joykumar said, secret information about that particular group receiving training in China is with the state police.
He said, the particular group in question and the Maoists are helping each others in procurement of arms and ammunitions.
Joykumar said, the arms meant for the Maoists cannot be easily pushed forward amidst tight security measures.
He said, the borders of West Bengal are heavily guarded by the BSF personnel.
This apart, all the national highways are also vigilantly guarded.
He added that the attempt to transfer arms could be easily thwarted.
DGP Joykumar said that the state police could be raised to become a full-strength force within a year.
To translate this into action, 4,000 personnel have been newly recruited.
The newly recruited personnel will be given training at Manipur Police Training School, Pangei within this month.
Apart from this, 1,500 rifleman-drivers have been recruited.
They would receive training at their respective allotted battalions.
He said, the department is initiating a process for the declaration of results for the recruitment of 2,500 riflemen in IRB.
He said that the results could not be declared due to enforcement of election code of conduct in connection with the coming by-election to Yaiskul AC.
Joykumar said, the department is also initiating a process for the recruitment of 800 women police constable.
He added that even all the said vacant posts are recruited, there would be still 3,000 vacant posts.
He said, the recruitment would be completed within a year from now.