'Ek ke saath ek free': Army chief on Manipur and Myanmar status, dismisses 900 anti-national infiltrators claim

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi referenced the challenges in Manipur and Myanmar, remarking ‘Ek ke saath ek free’. He highlighted that alongside the ongoing conflicts in Manipur, problems have also erupted across the border in Myanmar.
 

Furthermore, he informed that even though the situation in Manipur is currently stable, it continues to remain tense. 
 

Speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, 2024, Dwivedi said, “In a lighter vein, 'ek ke saath ek free' because Manipur was a problem and now you have the Myanmar problem also coming in."
 

Outlining the origin of the conflict in Manipur back to 2023, the Army chief informed that the conflict began as a result of a rumour suggesting that an Anglo-Kuki war centenary gate was set ablaze. However, he further dismissed the rumours, stating, "That rumour mongering led to major violence, which is still finding its stabilisation phase which has not reached. Over a period of time, it has become a battle of narratives. There is a polarisation between communities. The situation may be stable today but it is tense.”
 

Citing that the society has been weaponised to an extent with the number of Internally Displaced People hitting 60,000, General Dwivedi added, “Regarding Internally Displaced People the number reached 60,000 but with a perseverance that has come down to below 40,000. Similarly, the society got weaponised to some extent as weapons were looted. Women-led as well as underground organisations have come up for defensive purposes."
 

Furthermore, he stressed the need for a ‘whole of nation’ approach to mitigate the conflict in the state and restore trust among citizens. 
 

He stated, “As far as the Army and Assam Rifles are concerned, we have deployed approximately 126 columns of both combined together, in conjunction with many stakeholders which are already operating in the state. We are trying to calm down the situation and restore trust. It will take its own time as social fracturing takes its own time to recover.”
 

Regarding weaponising of the state, the Army chief claimed that personnel have recovered around 25 per cent of the total amount of weapons in the state, further adding that twice as many weapons of local kinds have also been recovered. 
 

Moreover, he stressed the need to put an end to false narratives persisting in the state, citing the presence of Valley Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs) who were being supported from across. "Similar allegations have come up for other groups. We are seeking to not allow wrong narratives to be built up," he said.
 

Dwivedi went on to explain that the narrative of bomb drones was false as the security forces had "gone on ground and checked but there were no bomb drones." He also cited another false narrative that claimed infiltration of 900 anti-national elements. "We checked, there is nothing like that."
 

On the international front, General Dwivedi explained the influx of displaced people from Myanmar into Mizoram and Manipur. He said, "As far the external support is concerned, Myanmar is having its own problem. They also have some people who are getting displaced. When they are getting displaced, where will they go? They will only go to those places which are peaceful and ready to accept them. And that is what is happening in Mizoram and Manipur. So the people who are coming are coming unarmed and they are coming in search of some kind of shelter and India will make sure they provide support, food and shelter until possible."