Manipur Chief Minister cancels road travel for IRB recruits amid protests
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has announced the cancellation of the plan to send new recruits of the 10th and 11th India Reserve Battalions (IRB) to Assam by road. In a Facebook post, Singh stated, «The plan to send recruits of the 10th and 11th IRB to Assam by road has been cancelled for now.
An alternative arrangement will be made soon.»
This decision comes in response to protests from family members and relatives of the recruits. Concerns were raised about the safety and security of the new recruits as the proposed route passed through Kuki-inhabited areas.
Demonstrations took place near the Manipur Police Training College at Pangei in Imphal East district, where relatives voiced their opposition to the road travel plan.
The alternative arrangement entails sending the new recruits to Assam for training, with the Assam government providing the necessary facilities for a Manipur police battalion. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had recently met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati to discuss this collaboration.
Sarma clarified that the decision was based on the lack of a conducive environment for training police battalions in Manipur.
He stated, «As there is no environment for training of police battalions in Manipur, a battalion of Manipur will be trained in Dergaon. The chief minister of Manipur has requested me for the training of the battalion.
It was purely an official discussion and not political.»
In Assam, there are four training institutions located in Dergaon, Golaghat district, specifically designed for Assam Police personnel. These institutions include the Police Training College, Armed Police Training Centre, Battalion Training Centre, and Recruit Training School.
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