The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Nov 20: The chief minister Okram Ibobi, after a one and half hour closed door meeting with the Union home minister, P Chidambaram, came out confident he would be able to resolve both the class boycott problem as well as have the law and order situation in the state firmly back in the hands of the government.

The prolonged meeting which began at 5pm happened even as reporters waited outside the office of the Union minister expecting something sensational would happen, a reliable source in New Delhi said.

When the chief minister finally emerged, reporters questioned him on the outcome of the meeting, and the chief minister replied confidently that he convinced the Home minister, he would be able to tackle the issue arising out of the protest against the July 23 incident as well as get a firm grip on the law and order situation in the state.

When a reporter asked him if he would be relinquishing the home portfolio, he said he would not as he had done nothing wrong. He also implied those who wanted to oust him have the blessing and backing of underground elements.

He further told the reporters he had requested the Union home minister for more paramilitary forces as even smaller states like Nagaland were given more.

Meanwhile, the SPF spokesman, IFCD and sports minister, N. Biren, when queried on phone said the meeting between the Union home minister and the chief minister was very fruitful.

He said the chief minister thoroughly briefed the Union minister on the law and order situation in the state and the latter was very appreciative of his account.

Chidambaram however asked the chief minister to resolve the crisis of the class boycott without further delay so that students in the state are not at risk of losing a precious academic year.

When the Union minister enquired if it was true that policing in the hill districts was grossly inadequate, the chief minister replied in the affirmative and appraised Chidambaram the total number of police and IRB personnel available to Manipur was only 13,000 to 14,000, as compared to 30,000 and above available with Nagaland and Tripura.

The chief minsiter requested for creation of more police posts to make up for the shortfall so that the state can tackle with insurgency more effectively. The Union minister also enquired if the newly recruited village defence force personnel have become operational and asked the chief minister to expedite things, said the SPF spokesman.

The Union minister showed sympathy to the condition in the state and extended a gesture to help, and asked the chief minister if he had come along with his officers. When the chief minister replied he had come alone, the former told him to summon relevant state officers to New Delhi so that they could sit together with their counterparts in the Ministry of Home Affairs, MHA, and work out a modality to augment the state`s capabilities to handle the law and order situation. Chidambaram also told the chief minister to have another meeting with him on Sunday to further discuss the matter, the SPF spokesman said.

Meanwhile, agencies reported that Chidambaram told the chief minister to deal with insurgents firmly.

The reports said Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh today expressed hope that student organisations in his state would soon end their boycott of classes, which has been continuing for the last three months.

"I hope that everything will be ok very soon," Singh told reporters here when asked what steps his government was taking to end the stalemate.

At least four lakh students in Manipur may lose out an academic year due to the class boycott call of various student groups since September to protest the killing of a youth in an alleged encounter with police in July.

Singh, who met Home Minister P Chidambaram, said he has requested the Home Minister to provide additional paramilitary force to deal with the insurgency situation in the state.

Chidambaram is understood to have told the Chief Minister to do the needful urgently so that the students resume their classes at the earliest, sources said.

The Home Minister is also believed to have told Singh to crack down on the insurgents and firmly deal with them to stop their extortion and protect national highways where extremists often create disturbance.

Three major students` organisations have been boycotting classes in all educational institutions in the state since September 9 in support of demands by a major social organisation -- Apunba Lup.

The Apunba Lup, which has been agitating against the killing Chungkham Sanjit by police commandos on July 23 in an alleged encounter, demands resignation of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh on moral grounds.

 

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