MANTRIPUKHURI, Oct 1 - The presence of Indian insurgent groups� camps �in close proximity of the border� will undermine India�s Act East Policy besides giving a secure base to strike at the Indian security forces.
This was stated by General Officer Commanding (GOC) Lt Gen Bipin Rawat of Spear Corps (3 Corps) while speaking at a seminar on �An Emergent Manipur � The Way Ahead� organised by Assam Rifles here on Thursday.
�The presence of Indian insurgent groups� camps in close proximity of the border gives them a firm and secure base to strike at Indian security forces,� said Lt Gen Rawat. �The presence of these camps is going to seriously undermine India�s Act East Policy because any development planned is either not going to be allowed (as is happening with Silchar-Imphal railway line) or subjected to severe extortion, with 20-30 per cent of the fund going into UG coffers�, he added.
The seminar was attended by PHE Minister I Hemochandra, Dy Speaker Preshaw Shimray, Lt Gen NK Singh (Retd), Chairman of Ceasefire Monitoring Group, IG Assam Rifles Major General VS Sreenivas, Faculty of Manipur University, NGOs and prominent citizens.
Inaugurating the seminar, Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh appealed to the insurgents groups �to abjure violence and lay down their arms. There is no grievance that cannot be addressed and thrashed out by sitting across the table through a meaningful dialogue�, he added.
