Union Home Secretary in Manipur

IMPHAL - Union Home Secretary, G.K. Pillai, has ruled out talks with any insurgent group in the northeastern states on issues of sovereignty, but expressed willingness to initiate peace talks to resolve the issue.

Addressing the media here on Friday, Pillai said: “If the groups are willing to abjure violence, I think there is great potential for talks. Because only through dialogue we can resolve the issue, violence will not solve the issue.”

G K Pillai who is on a two-day visit to the State, accepted the emergence of several insurgent groups in the northeastern region in recent years but said the government was capable of handling them.

“We are quite prepared to handle all these groups. I think everybody realises that extortion is the biggest cottage industry in the northeast. And every group, which comes up, is really doing it for money,” he said.

” It’s very clear. Any four people can take up gun, and call themselves by any name they want, the situation being such that they are able to extort some money and get away with it. And that’s what encouraged more and more groups to come,” Pillai added.

Pillai’s visit is aimed at reviewing the law and order situation in the state and also to take stock of the developmental projects being undertaken in the region, which are frequently being rocked by insurgent attacks and face other security problems.

He said the Central Government had suggested to the Manipur Government to pull out the policemen from VIP security and put them into police stations to ensure better safety of the citizens.

“One of the issues which we are suggesting to the state government is that please take out people who are guarding the VIPs and put them into the police stations so that they can guard the people.” Pillai said.

Commenting upon the peace talks with the powerful rebel group- National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) - Issac-Muivah faction, Pillai said, the government will resume talks with the group in March this year and is likely to place a proposal to the outfit during the talks.

But Pillai ruled out the demand of integration of the areas inhabited by the Naga tribe.

“I won’t be able to share the points of the proposal but I think it is very clear that issues like sovereignty or the integration are not feasible today, but we are open to discussion on all the ssues that have been raised.” he said. (ANI)