NEW DELHI: Nearly two years after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur, newly appointed Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday urged people of all communities, particularly the youth, to voluntarily surrender looted and illegally acquired weapons within seven days, starting February 20.
In a statement, Bhalla assured that no punitive action would be taken if weapons were returned within the stipulated time frame. However, he warned of strict action against those still in possession of such arms after the deadline.
“For the greater good of restoring normalcy and enabling people to resume their daily lives, all communities must come together to end hostilities and uphold peace and order,” Bhalla said, adding, “In this regard, I sincerely urge the youth in both the valley and hills to voluntarily surrender looted and illegally held weapons and ammunition at the nearest police station, outpost, or security camp within the next seven days, starting February 20.”
Bhalla’s appeal comes in the backdrop of nearly 4,000 sophisticated arms and lakhs of rounds of ammunition looted from Manipur Police and other security posts across multiple districts following the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023.
Notably, Bhalla was serving as Union Home Secretary when the violence first erupted, leading to mass unrest and the looting of armouries.
“The people of Manipur both in the valley and hills have endured immense hardships over the past 20 months due to a series of unfortunate incidents affecting peace and communal harmony,” he said in his appeal.
Bhalla emphasised that surrendering weapons would be a significant step toward peace and reconciliation.