IMPHAL, January 12: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said Manipur has been subjected to violent insurgencies for decades, costing thousands of lives and impacting peace and development in the State.
Speaking at the first Assam Rifles Ex-servicemen Rally today at Mantripukhri, the Chief Minister said the Assam Rifles has been involved in intense counter insurgency operation in Manipur and has contributed in a large measure in reducing the violence levels and enabling the Civil Administration to function.
Slowly but steadily the state of Manipur is moving towards peace and prosperity, that the people of Manipur will always remain thankful to the Sentinels of the North East, he said.
The rally was conducted by the IGAR (South) under the aegis of the DG AR at Mantripukhri.
Apart from their role in counter insurgency and border guarding, the Assam Rifles has also been at the forefront in aiding the government whenever required, he said and added that it is indeed a matter of great pleasure for me to be present here today and meet you all who have been proud members of this great force.
“I am honored to meet the veer naris whose husbands have made the supreme sacrifice in defending our country” he said and lauded the World War II veterans who have come to be part of the grand rally.
He continued that through this rally a platform for renewing old bonds, facilitating our brave veterans and veer naris to address grievances pertaining to pension and other benefits.
Ibobi said that the State of Manipur is trying to emerge out of decades of conflict and economic stagnation and added “There is visible transformation all around.”
Manipur is the lynchpin of India’s Act East Policy and will thus witness tremendous growth in years to come, he said and mentioned that the ex-servicemen have a tremendous role to play in your villages and localities in reducing age old ethnic rivalries and working towards peace and increasing the momentum of development in the State.
The Chief Minister and DGAR released a compendium which covers various schemes and benefits available to AR ex-servicemen and their dependents.
The World War II veterans and veer naris were felicitated by Chief Minister and DGAR with some tokens of appreciation.
DG AR, Lt Gen HJS Sachdev said Assam Rifles is the oldest paramilitary force of India, the force over the years acquitted itself well in peace and in war and has been instrumental in maintaining peace, law and order for the last 181 years.
In recent years the Assam Rifles was deployed along the Indo-Myanmar Border and has been carrying our counter insurgency operations in the North Ester States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura.
The contribution of this force towards controlling the violence levels and return of normalcy in these states has been immense, he said and added that AR is a force of the people by the people and it has rightly earned the accolade of being Sentinels of the North East.
During the function, the CM and the DG AR released a compendium which covers various schemes and denefits available to AR ESM and their dependents.
The CM also felicitated World War II veterans and veer naris.
An open house and pension adalat was held to address certain issues of common interest to all ESM.