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Charred cars caught fire in Imphal, Manipur on Friday. (photo: PTI)
In an exclusive interview with News18, former GM Kuldip Singh who was posted as a security advisor to Manipur, spoke about the ground situation in the state and also talked about the government’s plan, casualties in police firing and more.
The situation in the state is tense but under control, said Kuldeep Singh, a security advisor dispatched by the center to Manipur, adding that there are 28 to 30 confirmed casualties in the clashes.
In an exclusive interview with News18, Kuldip Singh talks about the ground situation in Manipur and also talks about the government plan, police gunfire casualties in the state and more.
Singh, a cadre officer from West Bengal Class of 1986, served as Director General in both the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) erstwhile.
There were few casualties in Churachandpur in police shootings, Singh said, and added that Singh’s orders to “shoot at sight” had yet to be tested. He said that instructions have been given for the two private and main systems to communicate with the public.
Singh said there was a lot of apprehension in the minds of the public due to the rumours.
Current situation in Manipur
Talking about the current situation in Manipur, Kuldeep Singh said the situation is tense but under control, adding that it is better than yesterday and getting better day by day. “We are now getting closer and reaching out to the affected people. Basically, there are a lot of rumours, and because of that, the public has a lot of concerns in their mind. We are dispelling the rumours,” he said.
“Communicate with the public and deter fear”
Kuldiep Singh told News18 that they have taken steps and taken the trust of DMs and DMs. “We had a video conference with them. We directed them and discussed with them that they should communicate with the public and deter fears in their minds,” Singh said.
Singh added that a help desk line has been launched for those facing any problem. Singh said people could call the helpline numbers, and then someone from a paramilitary organization, the BSF or CRPF would handle the issue.
‘Losses could be higher’
Talking about the death toll, Kuldeep Singh told News18 that there are approximately 28 to 30 confirmed deaths, adding that the number could rise. “Verified losses so far have been approximately 28 to 30. But public reports may be higher. We cannot comment until we verify those deaths.”
“The order to fire has not yet been resorted to.”
Kuldiep Singh, the chief crash analyst sent by the Center to take care of the security aspect in Manipur, said there was a “shoot at sight” command but it had not been implemented yet.
“There is a ‘shoot on sight’ command but we haven’t resorted to that yet,” Kuldeep Singh said.
Yesterday, situation developed in Churachandpur during flag rallies by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police which eventually led to gunfire. In that shooting, two men and a woman were later found dead. This is the only incident in which people were killed by police fire. The former director-general of the Central Reserve Police Force said that those wounded in the police fire have been taken care of.”
By when are things expected to become normal
Singh said I can’t give a date but we will get the situation under control soon. “We are getting all the help from several governments, and the central government is giving us all kinds of help very actively. We hope we can maintain the situation soon, but I can’t say today.”
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