In a surprising decision which could trigger controversy, the Manipur government has requested the Union Home Ministry to ask the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to suspend all kinds of border fencing work across the disputed areas along India-Myanmar border in Manipur.
In a letter to the Union home secretary, Manipur's special secretary (home) H.Gyan Prakash wrote that since United Committee Manipur (UCM), a civil society organisation, has objected to the fencing and held a massive demonstration across the border, fencing works in the disputed areas should be halted.
The Manipur government has said that the demonstration was held last week from border pillar 79 to border pillar 81, covering a length of 10km from Moreh to Kwatha. Ironically, large quantities of drugs and illicit items, amounting to not less than Rs 10,000 crore yearly, are smuggled through this territory.
“The UCM has also announced to continue with the agitation in various parts of the state and even threatened to recruit suicidal teams in the process,” Prakash stated in the letter.
The letter further stated: “The law and order situation of the state may worsen in the coming days due to opposition against the border fencing work by BRO. The ministry is requested to kindly consider directing the BRO to suspend the border fencing work where the position of border pillar is disputed , until resolved through dialogue.”
It also said that the ministry should consider sending a Home Ministry team along with a team of Survey of India to discuss position of the disputed border pillars.
The letter created ripples across the military establishments which looks after the work of BRO.