IMPHAL, Oct 13: Deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam who is also the Home Minister today admitted that militants under tripartite agreement with both the State and Centre might have been frustrated with the peace initiative not progressing as they had desired.
The deputy Chief Minister stated this at the Hotel Classic on the sideline of the inauguration function of a two-day workshop on `Role of media to strengthen the Panchayati Raj systems in Manipur`.
He was responding to queries from media persons in the context of the URF, who had recently decamped from their designated camp and issued a statement stating that they are resuming their armed struggle having lost faith in the insincere ways of the government both the State as well as the Centre.
Passing on the buck to the Central government, the deputy Chief Minister said that the State government as a felicitator has been insisting the Centre to start the peace negotiation so that the issue can be settled amicably.
When quizzed further by the media on the State government`s reaction and whether they consider the recent development as a serious blow to the government`™s peace initiative and if the government is making any appropriate review of its initiative to prevent adverse signals to other groups under Suspension of Operation agreement, the deputy Chief Minister said the State government is only a felicitator and has been insisting that peace negotiation should start in the earnest to settle all the demands raised by the SoO groups.