Manipur: Biren Singh govt mulls ‘one force, one district’ arrangement to quell violence

The Manipur government is considering the implementation of a ‘one district, one force’ policy to enhance coordination and operational efficiency among security forces, as part of its efforts to restore peace in the northeastern state, which has been plagued by ethnic violence since 3 May. According to a Hindustan Times report, under this arrangement, each district will have dedicated personnel from a paramilitary force responsible for maintaining law and order. A security official in Delhi explained that this approach aims to promote accountability and minimise the potential for conflicts between different security forces. According to the report, citing an anonymous official, a unified command under the leadership of security advisor Kuldiep Singh is expected to reorganise security personnel throughout the state to implement the “one district, one force” framework. “Having one force to look after a particular district will help in coordination and also fix accountability. The force will be responsible for everything that happens in the particular district. Since the CRPF has more personnel, it is likely that they may be posted in more than one district,” Hindustan Times quoted the official as saying. “All these paramilitary forces will work in conjunction with the state police. Though an official order is yet to be issued, this will happen soon,” the official added. In the state currently experiencing ongoing ethnic tensions between the Meiteis and Kukis, there are over 200 companies representing various paramilitary forces. Unfortunately, this region has witnessed at least 175 casualties due to instances of violence stemming from these tensions. To address the situation and restore peace and normalcy, the nation’s five paramilitary forces - CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, and CISF - along with the Assam Rifles and the army are working in cooperation with the state police. Their combined efforts are focused on maintaining law and order, safeguarding the population, and addressing the complex challenges posed by the ethnic conflict. “The deployment of the forces could be done on the basis of the existing offices or camps of the forces that are present in each district. The state has 16 administrative districts. Even before the violence erupted, there were some companies of the CRPF and army stationed in the state. Among the paramilitary forces, the CRPF has the maximum number of personnel posted in Manipur,” the report quoted the official as saying. With inputs from agencies