Silchar: A delegation will go to New Delhi in March to meet Union home minister Rajnath Singh, seeking necessary steps for permanent settlement of the 37th Battalion of Assam Rifles camps at Latingkhal-Makhabasti and Guakhal in Jiribam, Manipur.

Jiribam, located in the western part of Manipur, is around 54km from here, and 364km from Guwahati.

The delegation will comprise members of the All Jiribam Linguistic Minority People's Organisation, United Minority People's Organisation, United Minority People's Front, All Manipur Bengali Students' Union and Nari Jagoron Jouta Mancha.

The state general secretary of Citizens' Rights Protection Committee, Sadhan Pur-kayastha, on Thursday said the organisations had submitted a memorandum recently to Silchar MP Sushmita Dev in connection with the demand.

Purkayastha, who met Dev and spoke to her about the matter here on Wednesday, said the CRPC would extend its co-operation towards the organisations for the demand.

The organisations, in the memorandum, stated that Jiribam and its adjacent areas are always affected by militant activities and the camps have been playing a vital role in keeping the law and order situation under control. Thus, the camps' existence in the area is very much necessary to prevent crimes. Dev, thereafter, wrote a letter to Rajnath on February 12 and urged him to take steps needed for continuation of the camps in Jiribam so that a peaceful atmosphere is maintained, he said.

The response from the home minister's office is yet to come, Purkayastha added.

Mohammed Ahmed Ali, secretary of the All Manipur Bengali Students' Union, said a directive was issued around one month ago to shift the army camps/posts which caused fury among people. Severe protests were held with local residents hitting the streets in large numbers and demonstrating against the government decision, he said.

This eventually brought the matter to a standstill. However, the same instruction was given again recently and this has led to anxiety among people, Ali said.

He added that crimes like extortion, murder, loot and molestation are common and that the no law and order situation would deteriorate if the camps are shifted.

G. Das, president of the All Jiribam Linguistic Minority People's Organisation, said militant groups particularly target Bengalis and those belonging from other minority communities in Jiribam. As such, shifting of the camps will jeopardise the safety of these people, Purkayastha said.

There are 45 villages combining the areas around the camps at Latingkhal Makhabasti and Guakhal with a population of 13,000.