On Friday, July 28, former army chief General MM Naravane said that the involvement of foreign agencies in the Manipur violence cannot be ruled out. Narvane asserted that several insurgent groups operating in Manipur received aid from China.
Instability in border states, according to General (retd) Naravane, is bad for the nation’s general national security. He was speaking with reporters at the India International Centre on the theme ‘National Security Perspective’ when he was asked about the ongoing unrest in Manipur.
The former army chief also expressed his trust in the authorities taking measures to control the situation in Manipur as he urged people not to “second guess them.”
“I am sure that those who are in the chair and responsible for taking actions due to be taken are doing their best. We should avoid to second guess them. The person on the ground knows best what is to be done,” he said.
#WATCH | "Coming on to Manipur, I had said right in the beginning that internal security is very important. If there is instability not only in our neighbouring country but in our border state, then that instability is bad for our overall national security. I am sure that those… pic.twitter.com/NSJOqqvqTu
— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2023
Furthermore, Naravane stated that he is certain that Chinese aid is reaching insurgent groups active in the violence-hit northeastern state. “The involvement of foreign agencies, not only cannot be ruled out, but they are definitely there particularly Chinese aid to various insurgent groups, they’ve been helping them for so many years. They will continue, I believe,” Naravane said.
When asked about the role of drug trafficking in the current turmoil in Manipur, Naravane stated it has been ongoing for a long time and the number of drugs recovered has continued to rise over the years.
“We are just a little remote from the Golden Triangle—Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos form the Golden Triangle. Myanmar is perpetually in disarray and under military administration. Even in the best of times, the government only had control over central Myanmar, not the outlying bordering states, whether with India, China, or Thailand. So drug trafficking has always been there,” General (retd) said.
He further claimed that there will be agencies or other players in the game who benefit from the violence and who would not wish to see normalcy return to Manipur because while this instability is there, they stand to benefit.
#WATCH | Former Army Chief General M M Naravane says, "When we talk about national security, we should focus on the internal security dimension. External security of course is of paramount importance…The security of the country is the responsibility of each & every citizen of… pic.twitter.com/3dBYdj1wxd
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2023
“There will probably be agencies or other actors in the game who benefit from the violence and who would not want a situation of normalcy to get on because while this instability is there, they stand to benefit,” Naravane added.
Background of the violence in Manipur
The ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state of Manipur has already resulted in more than 100 fatalities and thousands of displaced residents.
The first clashes occurred on 3 May following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) in the hill areas to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Tensions rose in April as a result of a Manipur High Court decision ordering the state administration to make a decision regarding the Scheduled Tribe status issue.
