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They will now return to their ethnic trouble-hit state with the message of peace and love.
A total of 1,946 recruits of Manipur Police from Meitei, Kuki, Naga, Muslim and other communities graduated from the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy here on Monday, strengthening the force in the violence-hit northeastern state.
Speaking exclusively to PTI, the newly inducted personnel from different communities said in one voice that they undertook training like brothers since January this year and are now ready to serve Manipur together to spread the message of peace and love among the warring groups.
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During their stay at the Assam Police academy here, the cadets underwent intense physical training together.
“At times, we used to get disturbing news from our parents and relatives. Once we return home, we will try to solve the problems together. We are all ready to do our duties and stay together in Manipur,” Premananda said.
The young policeman said that the trainees used to discuss the problems faced by people back home.
“This ongoing ethnic conflict should be over as soon as possible,” he added.
Another Meitei cadet, Chirom Shekharjit Singh, said the men in uniform ate, slept and bathed together, and there has been absolutely no hatred towards the fellow Kuki recruits, and the Meitei cadets also never faced any issue from them.
“There was absolutely no problem among the different communities during training here. There was no reflection of the problems back home on us during the training,” he added.
Asked if he will serve with Kuki personnel once they return home from Assam, Singh said he does not know where he would be posted but he is ready to serve wherever the government sends him.
“We are ready to serve our state together,” he stressed.
Echoing similar sentiments, a Kuki personnel from India Reserve Battalion, P Kipgen, said that recruits from all the communities have undergone training together and they will serve together once they return to Manipur.
“I am a Kuki from Kangpokpi district. We have undergone training with Meitei recruits and we had no issue at all. We had our drills together, had meals in the same dining hall and slept in the same barracks. There was no problem. I cannot say why problems are happening in Manipur. I strongly believe there should be peace in our state,” he added.
The intensive 44-week basic training course for the Manipur Police recruits commenced at the academy in January. The ethnic distribution of the recruits was diverse with 62 per cent Meiteis, 12 per cent Kukis and the remaining 26 per cent belonging to Naga and other tribes.
Attending the passing-out parade, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said all the newly recruited cadets, including those from Meitei and Kuki communities, will be posted together as a “team” in an attempt to bring back peace.
MM Zulkib Mughal, a Muslim cadet from Manipur, said that these personnel represented the entire state as the batch comprised people from all communities and they underwent training together.
“Here, we stayed as one unit and there was no problem between the Meitei and Kuki recruits. There was not even one fight between them. The situation in Manipur is also improving,” he added.
Mughal expressed optimism that he along with his comrades in Manipur Police will try their best to help improve the situation further.
“We don’t need such fights in our state. We should stay together and peace should return as soon as possible. The state’s development will be halted if such clashes go on,” he emphasised.
Meitei police personnel Konthoujam Jimson said that the new recruits representing all communities love each other like brothers as they have joined the same community, called ‘policemen’.
“We are one community. I will happily work with my Kuki brothers in Manipur. We belong to the same community and have come forward for our motherland India. We are all same,” he said.
“Whatever we did peacefully here, we will continue to do that and love each other once we return to Manipur. My message to the youth is to give priority to our state always,” he added.
Kuki personnel Thangtinsei said the training was positive and there was no discrimination among the cadets.
“I would not like to mention any community as everything was done as a team. Every personnel is physically and mentally ready, and everything is positive. I am feeling very proud that different communities are together, and completing the training was a great achievement,” he added.
More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.