Four light vehicles were broken, mostly the front windshield, the police said

The CRPF has been awarded the highest number of police gallantry medals, 21, among all central and state police forces including two defence ministry issued Shaurya Chakras on the eve of the 76th Republic Day on Saturday.

A total of 95 bravery medals have been awarded to the personnel of state and central police forces, fire service, home guard and civil defence and correctional services through an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Ministry of Defence also announced two Shaurya Chakras for the CoBRA commandos of the force — Deputy Commandant Vikrant Kumar and Inspector Jeffrey Hmingchullo — for undertaking a daring operations against Maoists in Jharkhand during 2023.

As per their citation, these personnel from the 203 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) displayed “exceptional” bravery during an anti-Naxal operation that took place on April 2, 203 in Chatra district of the state leading to the killing of five “top” Maoists and recovery of a cache of weapons and ammunition.

The Shaurya Chakra is the third highest peacetime military gallantry medal.

A senior officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that out of the 19 police medals for gallantry (GM), 11 are for operations undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir, seven for acts of bravery in anti-Maoist operations and one for courage displayed during an operation in the northeast.

The awardees include second-in-command rank officer Narender Yadav, and Assistant Commandants Amit Kumar and Vinay Kumar who have been conferred with the 1st bar to GM (gallantry medal awarded for the second time).

Late Constable Sunil Kumar Pandey has been named for the medal posthumously.

The 186th battalion jawan laid down his life in September 2023 in Assam while stopping bike-borne smugglers who trafficked contraband from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh. The assailants attacked him with a knife.

After the CRPF, the country’s largest paramilitary force, the highest number of medals went to Uttar Pradesh (17), Jammu and Kashmir (15), Chhattisgarh (11) and Border Security Force (5).

Three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel deployed under the United Nations (UN) flag in Congo have also been honoured with the gallantry medal.

Inspector Jitu Deori, Constable Ratan Kumar Yogi and Constable Awdhesh Kumar Yadav displayed “exemplary courage” in rescuing 38 unarmed UN staff members from a violent mob that attacked their camp in Butembo on July 26, 2022.

The BSF is primarily tasked with guarding Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of other security duties.

The CRPF, with about 3.25 lakh personnel, is the mainstay for internal security duties in the country. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Imphal/New Delhi:

The Centre will send over 10,000 more soldiers to ethnic violence-hit Manipur, taking the total number of companies of the central forces to 288 in the state neighbouring Myanmar, the state’s Chief Security Adviser told reporters today.

With the addition of 90 companies, or approximately 10,800 personnel of the central forces, the total number of companies deployed in Manipur has reached 288, Manipur Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh told reporters in the state capital Imphal.

He said 258 people have died in the Manipur violence since May 2023.

“We are getting 90 companies of forces. A sizable portion has already reached Imphal. We have been distributing the forces to protect lives and properties of civilians and monitor vulnerable areas and points,” Mr Singh said.

“All areas will be covered in a few days. We have made foolproof arrangements. New coordination cells and joint control rooms will be set up in every district. We have reviewed those that are already functioning,” he said.

Mr Singh said the security forces have so far recovered approximately 3,000 weapons looted from police armouries since clashes began between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes in May 2023.

He said all the forces including the police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), army, Assam Rifles, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal are working together.

“We are all together in tackling the Manipur issue. Whatever problem comes up, we deal with them together. Operations are already going on,” Mr Singh said, adding that a new standard operating procedure (SOP) will be set up to secure fringe areas and national highways.

The violence escalated after a woman from the Hmar tribe, a mother of three children, was allegedly killed by suspected Meitei militants in Jiribam’s Zairawn village on November 7. In retaliation, two dozen Kuki militants attacked Jiribam’s Borobekra on November 11.

While 10 were killed in an encounter with the CRPF, the rest took six members of a Meitei family hostage and escaped. Two more Meiteis, both senior citizens, were killed by the Kuki militants before the encounter with the CRPF began.

The bodies of the six hostages including an infant were found in a river.

Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:

The Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) timely intervention during a “terror attack” in Manipur’s Jiribam district prevented the loss of several lives, Chief Minister N Biren Singh told NDTV on Thursday.

Mr Singh said “10 Kuki terrorists” tried to enter a relief camp in Jiribam’s Borobekra where 115 internally displaced people were living, but the CRPF foiled their plan. All the 10 were shot dead in a gunfight with the central forces on November 11 in Borobekra, a village on the interstate border with Assam. One CRPF soldier was injured.

“If the CRPF was not deployed, the lives of many civilians would have been lost. The Kuki terrorists came with rocket launchers, AK 47, and many sophisticated weapons. They attacked the (police) camp, and killed two people on the spot,” Mr Singh told NDTV.

“They were trying to enter Borobekra relief camp where 115 Meitei civilians were living. But due to the timely intervention by the CRPF, the lives were saved. Otherwise that scenario could have been different. It’s very unfortunate that eight innocent people were killed. The two died in the attack, and six including three small children were kidnapped and mercilessly killed. It is an intolerable crime,” the Chief Minister said.

Civil society groups and leaders of the Kuki tribes have claimed the 10 men were “village volunteers”. The police have, however, called them “militants” and showed assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher as recovered from them. A bullet-ridden vehicle of the security forces was shown as one of the targets of the “militants”.

At least two dozen suspected Kuki militants had split into two groups before launching the attack in Borobekra, police sources had told NDTV. While one group took six Meitei hostages, the other group of 10 men vandalised and set fire to houses, and killed two senior citizens from the Meitei community. These 10 were later shot dead in the encounter with the CRPF, police sources have said.

The six hostages were from the same family – a woman, her infant child, her two-year-old son, her mother, her sister and her sister’s daughter – all were killed in captivity by suspected Kuki militants. Their bodies were dumped into a river. Days before the Borobekra attack, a mother of three from the Hmar tribe was allegedly raped and killed by suspected Meitei militants during a night attack on a village in Jiribam.

Mr Singh said the Manipur cabinet’s resolution was placed “after a lot of thought”, adding the Centre sent more forces to catch the “militants”. “You can’t deal with Kuki militants without the forces. The operations have already started. This was the demand,” he added.

The Manipur cabinet has sought to declare the militants involved in the Jiribam terror attack of taking hostages and killing them as an unlawful organisation, or a terror group. He expressed confidence that the Centre would look into the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA, by keeping in mind the “pulse of the people of Manipur” and will surely do something about it.

The AFSPA, which gives sweeping powers to the security forces to operate in “disturbed areas” without fear of court proceedings, was reimposed in six police station areas of Manipur’s valley region.

Protests had also broken out in the valley areas when the partially decomposed bodies of the six hostages were found. The Chief Minister told NDTV that vandalism that happened during the protests was carried out by vested interests and rivals.

“The people came out to protest in shock after hearing about the killings of the six innocent women and children. They were simply rallying and appealing to the government and MLAs, not involved in the violence. The arsonists stole many things from the houses they targeted. It was not the public. They were peacefully protesting, rallying. The troublemakers were the defeated group, politically desperate group, politically motivated gang, who looted and attacked homes. No one from the public attacked the MLAs’ houses. The public was in the bazaar, protesting,” Mr Singh said in the state capital Imphal.

The Chief Minister said that in one MLA’s house, some 600 people came and spoke to him, and after agreeing to their demands of bringing justice in the Jiribam terror attack case, the group of people left.

“Another group of 200 or so people came. These were the ones who created trouble. We have identified them. There is video evidence. Most wore masks, but we know them. They have stolen gold, cash, even eight paddy bags from an MLA’s house. What’s all this?” Mr Singh said.

On the much controversial War on Drugs campaign, the Chief Minister said at least 500 acres of poppy cultivation has been detected in Kangpokpi district, which sprang up fast as the security forces are tied up with other priority tasks.

“Due to the present crisis, security has been tied up in some areas and cannot go out. Taking advantage of this, six villages in Kangpokpi are cultivating a huge amount of illegal poppy. Earlier, the forces used to go in the morning and evening to destroy illegal poppy cultivation. At least 500 acres are being cultivated,” Mr Singh told NDTV.

“We have asked the Chief Secretary to send forces to destroy the poppy farms in Kangpokpi before they can be harvested. They want to destroy the youth of Manipur by making them addicted to drugs, they want to harm India. They are using many strategies to invade India,” he said.

The Kuki tribes have often criticised Mr Singh for allegedly singling out the community and branding them as a people who encourage drug trafficking, even though many members of other communities have been arrested in narcotics cases.

To bring peace in Manipur, Mr Singh said, the Centre had called both sides and started talks. “From the state government’s side, we sent MLAs, leaders to Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi for talks. Political dialogue, negotiations, interactions, these are the things that will help bring peace,” he said.

He faulted the media for allegedly not reporting the whole picture from Manipur, where he said trouble is confined to two-three districts, and not the entire state where people from different communities are living together in peace.

“Differences between communities have been there for a long time. After my government came, I launched the go-to-hills campaign, go-to-village, meet with people from different communities, bring them together, we honoured every community, and constructed a museum of everyone’s culture and traditions,” the Chief Minister said.

“The Sangai ethnic park has the model of houses of every tribe to show oneness… we are all proud Indians, we are all proud Manipuris, and almost succeeded except for the present scenario with this one community. But other communities are living together. Go to Imphal and see. There are churches, temples, masjids. Trouble is happening only in one-two districts, not the whole Manipur. The national media needs to be aware of all this,” he said.

When violence broke out in May 2023, temples were razed and set on fire in many hill areas, while churches in the valley areas also suffered the same fate.

To a question about the National People’s Party (NPP) withdrawing support to his government, Mr Singh told NDTV he is not worried.

“The Congress has only five leaders. They won only five seats after 15 years… There’s nothing to worry about. Whether the NPP withdraws or not, there is enough of a majority. Those who want to give an excuse at a time when the state is going through hardships, let them be. For example, if a lifeguard runs away when an incident is about to happen, let him run away. I am here to save everyone,” he said.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

Imphal/New Delhi:

An MLA from Manipur’s Churachandpur district has raised a huge controversy over his social media posts calling 10 “militants” who were killed in an encounter on November 11 “martyrs”.

Churachandpur MLA Lallian Mang Khaute, who is also a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1985-batch, posted videos on Facebook and X showing him paying respects to the 10 men.

The Manipur Police in a statement said the 10 “militants” were killed in retaliatory fire after a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Jiribam’s Borobekra was attacked by the “militants”. The police shared visuals of what they claimed were assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher recovered from the “militants”. A CRPF soldier was injured in the attack.

On the same day, six members of a family from the Meitei community including an infant, a two-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl were taken hostage by another group of militants. They were killed in captivity and their bodies dumped into a river. The Manipur government on Monday in a cabinet resolution called them “Kuki militants” and sought to designate them as an “unlawful organisation” – a terrorist group.

In the post on Facebook, the BJP MLA of the Kuki-dominant hill district wrote, “Today, we gather with profound sorrow to honour and pay our respects to the 10 brave martyrs whose lives were tragically lost on the 11th of November. They have been brought from Silchar to Lamka [Churachandpur district] Hospital Mortuary. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families during this difficult time. May their souls find eternal peace and may we always remember their sacrifice.”

Mr Khaute uploaded the same video on X with a different caption.

“Paying respects to the ten martyrs, who have been brought from Silchar today at Lamka [Churachandpur] Hospital Mortuary. May their souls rest in peace,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Paying respects to the ten martyrs, who have been brought from Silchar today at Lamka Hospital Mortuary. May their souls rest in peace! pic.twitter.com/bcUV4Wcyx1

— Lallian Mang Khaute, IPS(retd) (@LMKhaute) November 16, 2024

A zero first information report (FIR) has been filed against Mr Khaute in Delhi by the general secretary of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) and Manipur resident Maheshwar Thounaojam. A zero FIR is one that is filed in any police station, to be forwarded to the relevant police station later in another state.

“All of us gathered here today came from different parts of the country. We are all Indians and we are one. The world needs to be told what the Kuki terrorists and their enablers are doing in Manipur. It is not just about Manipur. If it was, we wouldn’t have come to this police station in the national capital,” Maheshwar Thounaojam told reporters.

“We need to tell everyone across the country about Kuki terrorists. We stand together, and you see there are leaders from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, many other states here, listening to us,” Mr Thounaojam said. “He (Khaute) is playing a dangerous game. He’s like a snake in a play school,” he said, adding as a former police chief Mr Khaute should have known better and not acted in a manner that would lead to infamy after a career in the IPS.

Many from the Meitei community including those living abroad also criticised the Churachandpur MLA over his comments on social media.

“What does one say about an MLA who glorifies 10 slain militants shot by the CRPF as martyrs? In their relentless push for a separate territory and Union Territory status, are the Kukis now openly legitimising the use of militancy to achieve their aims? The world must question: is this a political struggle or a dangerous endorsement of armed rebellion? If the line between politics and militancy blurs, are we staring at the erosion of lawful discourse in favour of violence?” Australia-based journalist from the Meitei community Indira Laisram said in a post on X.

The Manipur cabinet in an eight-point resolution released on Monday said it has resolved “to start mass operations against the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of six innocent women and children in Jiribam within seven days.”

The cabinet also sought to “declare the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of the six innocent women and children as an ‘unlawful organisation’ within seven days”. If implemented, the Kuki militants responsible for taking hostage and killing them would be designated a terrorist group.

Imphal/New Delhi:

The father of two children – who went missing along with their mother and three others from Manipur’s Jiribam after an encounter between suspected Kuki insurgents and the security forces – has appealed to the authorities to find them as soon as possible.

Two other women from the family, and an eight-year-old child are also missing.

At least 10 suspected Kuki insurgents were shot dead in Jiribam on Monday. Kuki groups have alleged they were “village volunteers” who were shot from behind by the CRPF without any provocation, an allegation the Manipur Police have denied.

Laisharam Herojit, a low-level worker in the state government, in an interview to NDTV appealed to any group that may have held his family hostage. He told NDTV that a friend of his wife saw them being taken away on a boat by armed people.

“I’m Laishram Herojit. I’m a resident of Thambalkhong. I’m a low-level government servant. Among the six missing people, my wife, my two children, my mother-in-law and wife’s sister are there. So far there is no information about any of them. I don’t even know whether they are alive,” Mr Herojit told NDTV.

“They are all innocent. My two children cannot even speak yet. The elder one has just about started to speak. Please release them unhurt and hand them over to the family,” he said.

Mr Herojit told NDTV he got a call from his wife when shooting and arson broke out in Jiribam’s Borobekra on Monday. The call got disconnected and when he dialled her back, he found the phone was switched off.

“She was crying on the phone. She said they were surrounded by a lot of armed people. The call got disconnected, after which I called her back, but the mobile was switched off. My mother-in-law’s phone was also switched off. About an hour later – and we had been searching for a while – a Bengali friend of my wife told us she saw them being taken away in a boat,” Mr Herojit told NDTV.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp and the police station in Jiribam’s Borobekra are less than 1 km from the Barak River (see map above).

The yellow line is the distance between the river and the CRPF camp (approximately 600 metres), while the white line is the distance between a small settlement and the police station (approximately 350 metres). The small settlement is on the upper tip of the white arrow. This is where the houses were set on fire by the suspected Kuki insurgents after attacking the police station, according to police sources.

The CRPF engaged them in the open stretch between the larger settlement towards the direction of the river and the camp, which is next to the small settlement that was set on fire, sources said, adding it was an extremely chaotic situation.

Meitei Community Holds Silent Protest

Members of the valley-dominant Meitei community held candlelight vigil and protests in some cities to draw attention to the situation back home. Meitei civil society organisations called a shutdown in the state capital Imphal and other valley areas to protest against the attack by suspected Kuki militants in Jiribam.

Meitei Alliance, a global umbrella body of civil groups, in a statement said the “hostage-taking of three children and three women by Kuki terrorist groups… is an atrocity that demands immediate action. These terrorist groups, driven by a narrow ethnocentric agenda, must be rooted out at all costs.”

“… The time for restraint is over. This is a make-or-break moment for Manipur. We demand proactive measures, and we urge all elected leaders, regardless of political affiliation, to fulfil their duty and help in bringing an end to this crisis,” the Meitei Alliance said in the statement.

Kuki Groups Question “Encounter”

Several civil society groups and student organisations of the Kuki tribes have condemned what they call “barbaric actions” of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). They alleged the 10 men were “village volunteers” who were “treacherously murdered”.

Paolienlal Haokip, one of the 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs who have been seeking a separate administration citing alleged atrocities and unfair treatment by the Manipur government, on Wednesday questioned the decision to send more central forces to Manipur after the Jiribam incident.

“Is rushing more CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) the solution? While totally neglecting the political process?” Manipur BJP MLA Mr Haokip told NDTV.

“As long as you refuse to recognise the political problem, continue to back the mastermind of the ethnic purge as Chief Minister, rushing in more forces will only result in more deaths. Volunteers defending their villages are dubbed suspected militants, and a political problem is being handled as a law and order problem,” said Mr Haokip, a fierce critic of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Congress Delegation Meets Assam Governor

A Congress delegation in Assam met the Governor to express concern over the growing crisis in neighbouring Manipur, particularly the kidnapping of the six people. Former Manipur Chief Minister and Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh said the situation continues to deteriorate with each passing day, made an urgent appeal for the Governor’s intervention, and called for the Centre’s active role in ensuring their safe return.

Jiribam is right on the interstate border with Assam. Sources said the context of the Congress delegation meeting the Assam Governor may be due to the suspicion that militants could be crossing between Assam and Manipur using Barak River in the Borobekra stretch. Sources said this reinforces the claim by Mr Herojit that his family was taken away in a boat.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

New Delhi:

Hundreds of members of Manipur’s Meitei community came out on the streets in Delhi and other cities in a silent candlelight protest, seeking the safety of six people who have been missing since an encounter broke out between suspected Kuki militants and the security forces in the state’s Jiribam district on Monday.

Students from the Meitei community gathered at some parks in north Delhi, candles and printouts in their hands, and stood in silence. In the valley areas of Manipur, several civil society groups have called a shutdown.

More silent, candlelight gatherings are planned in several cities on Wednesday, a Delhi-based member of a Meitei forum said.

Three women and three children including a two-year-old baby went missing on Monday after suspected Kuki insurgents set houses of the Meitei community on fire, a Meitei civil society organisation in Jiribam said.

A purported photo of the six missing people was leaked from a WhatsApp group, which showed them sitting on the ground near some bamboo trees. NDTV could not independently verify the authenticity of the photo.

However, members of the Meitei civil society organisation shared the names and ages of the missing people, and identified all the six in the photo.

“We express our deepest concern for the lives and well-being of those who have been taken captive. These individuals, being innocent civilians, should never be subjected to violence or used as tools in conflicts. Our organisations stand together in condemning this heinous act and demand the immediate release of the abducted women and children,” the Manipur Innovative Youth Organisation Delhi (MAIYOND), Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD), and United Kakching Students (UNIKAS) said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

“We call upon the authorities to take swift action to ensure their safe return and to bring those responsible for this atrocity to justice. Violence against innocent civilians is an affront to human dignity and peace, and we will not stand idly by as such acts continue to take place,” they said.

“The fate of these women and children are unknown. They are reportedly held hostage by Kuki armed groups. This impunity towards civilians violates all humanitarian protocols. The fear is glaringly seen in the eyes of the hostages. Stop dis (sic) deliberate brutality. Release them safely,” Dr Arambam Noni, associate professor at Imphal-based DM University, posted on X.

Manipur Police officers in a press conference on Tuesday said the security forces are searching for the missing people, and operations are going on in several areas.

The police have denied allegations by Kuki groups that the 10 men killed in the Jiribam encounter were “village volunteers”.

“Several press releases from organisations have surfaced on social media, alleging baseless claims against the CRPF [Central Reserve Police Force] and Manipur Police… accusing the authorities of foul play. In this regard, factual account of the incidents is hereby issued…” the Manipur Police posted on X.

Several press releases from organizations have surfaced on social media, alleging baseless claims against the CRPF and Manipur Police regarding the incident of 11 November, 2024 at Jakuradhor, Borobekra under Jiribam District, accusing the authorities of foul play. In this…

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) November 12, 2024

A CRPF soldier was injured in the attack by the suspected Kuki militants in the district bordering Assam. The bodies of two elderly men from the Meitei community were also found inside a house in Jiribam that was set on fire by the suspected insurgents, residents said.

Last month, two men from the Meitei community were held hostage allegedly by a Kuki insurgent group in Kangpokpi district from September 27 till October 3. They were released after the authorities coordinated with the Kuki group Committee on Tribal Unity.

On Thursday last, a woman from the Hmar tribe was killed by suspected Meitei insurgents, who also set houses on fire in Jiribam. Her husband in a police case alleged she was raped before she was killed. A day later, a woman from the valley-dominant Meitei community was shot dead by suspected Kuki insurgents while she was working in a paddy field.

READ | How Last-Minute Breakthrough Came In Manipur Hostage Negotiations

Central security forces including the Assam Rifles have faced allegations of bias while operating in Manipur. The valley-dominant Meitei community has often alleged Assam Rifles of going soft on Kuki militants due to the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement.

The Kuki tribes had protested against the Centre’s move to shift two Assam Rifles battalions to Jammu and Kashmir, to be replaced by CRPF in the areas in Manipur the Assam Rifles had vacated.

The CRPF is the country’s biggest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). It has evolved into an efficient fighting force with huge successes in anti-Maoist operations in Jharkhand and other states. It made significant contributions to eradicating Naxalism, particularly in West Bengal and in the Kaimur and Rohtas regions of Bihar.

The Kuki tribes and the Meiteis have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation.

Guwahati/New Delhi:

Several civil society groups and student organisations of the Kuki tribes have condemned what they call “barbaric actions” of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a day after 10 men from the Kuki tribes were killed in Manipur’s Jiribam district.

Three children including two babies, one of them a two-year-old, and three women from the Meitei community are also missing from Jiribam since yesterday.

The police in the ethnic violence-hit state had in a statement said a CRPF post and a police station came under attack from “armed militants” in Jiribam, neighbouring Assam. After a gunfight that lasted 45 minutes, 10 bodies and several weapons including AK and INSAS assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher were found, the police said.

Civil society organisations and leaders of the Kuki tribes have, however, alleged the men were “village volunteers” who were “treacherously murdered”. The Kuki groups have alleged the CRPF soldiers conspired with the Manipur Police and armed groups to carry out the attack.

The Manipur Police have denied the allegations.

Several press releases from organizations have surfaced on social media, alleging baseless claims against the CRPF and Manipur Police regarding the incident of 11 November, 2024 at Jakuradhor, Borobekra under Jiribam District, accusing the authorities of foul play. In this…

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) November 12, 2024

Some of the Kuki groups that condemned the CRPF and called for a thorough investigation into the matter include Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) General Headquarters, Zomi Students’ Federation, Hmar Students’ Association, Thadou Youth Association, and Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights.

Hundreds of members of the Kuki tribes gathered in a few cities including Delhi for a silent protest. Many came out in Manipur’s Kuki-dominated hill districts Churachandpur and Kangpokpi and protested against what they alleged was “a puppet force, carrying out the will of its masters, while disregarding the welfare and protection of the citizens it is meant to defend.”

The KSO in a statement called for non-cooperation with the CRPF in all areas dominated by the Kuki tribes.

“In response to yesterday’s inhumane actions by the CRPF in Jiribam, the KSO General Headquarters has issued a directive stating that no CRPF personnel shall be allowed to leave their camp premises. Any CRPF personnel found in violation of this notice shall do so at their own risk and responsibility,” the KSO said in a statement, which has been verified as genuine by a senior KSO member to NDTV.

The senior KSO member, who requested anonymity, said the Kuki tribes have been “pushed to the wall” and yesterday’s deaths of “11 village volunteers” have hurt the community immensely. The weapons claimed to have been found in the hands of the “village volunteers” could be from anyone, the member said.

“We are aware of what we have said in the statement; it is out of desperation. Who is listening to us? We are not endorsing violence. But we feel helpless. The central forces are supposed to be neutral. The CRPF is under the Home Ministry,” said the KSO official, adding the nuances of the angst of the Kuki tribes after the “Jiribam horror” shouldn’t be seen in a binary manner. “There is someone behind all this, while the two communities fight. This is what everybody should know,” the official said.

Central security forces including the Assam Rifles have faced allegations of bias while operating in Manipur. The valley-dominant Meitei community has often alleged Assam Rifles of going soft on Kuki militants due to the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement.

The Kuki tribes had protested against the Centre’s move to shift two Assam Rifles battalions to Jammu and Kashmir, to be replaced by CRPF in the areas in Manipur the Assam Rifles had vacated.

The Kuki tribes and the Meiteis have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation.

Imphal:

Three children and three women are missing from Manipur’s Jiribam since yesterday after an encounter broke out between suspected Kuki insurgents and the security forces. The Manipur Police in a press conference today said the 10 killed in the encounter had enough firepower to create chaos in the affected area in Jiribam, near the border with Assam.

“Security forces have launched an operation to search for the missing people. They are three women and three children. The Assam Rifles, Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force will retaliate if fired upon,” a senior Manipur Police officer told reporters in the state capital Imphal today.

The police officer said a total of 13 internally displaced people were reported missing yesterday from Jiribam. Two have been found dead, five have been traced, and six are missing, the officer said.

The two bodies were of two senior citizens from the Meitei community. Both were found inside a structure that was set on fire by the militants, the police officer added.

New Delhi:

In a first, a total of 217 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel serving in the lowest rung of the paramilitary force as sweepers and peons were given promotions and piped with their new ranks.

A ‘rank piping’ ceremony was held at various offices of the force including for a dozen personnel at the headquarters in Delhi on Monday.

The move came about after the Union government earlier this year had given a green signal to promote 2,600 personnel working in the ministerial cadre of sweepers, cooks and water carriers — the lowest rung of the constabulary that constitutes an essential backbone of the CRPF — in the 85-year-old history of the country’s largest paramilitary force.

#सीआरपीएफ के इतिहास में एक और स्वर्णिम अध्याय!

बल में पहली बार, कॉन्स्टेबल से हेड कॉन्स्टेबल के पद पर २१७ मंत्रालयिक कैडर के सफाई कर्मचारी/दफ्तरी/फर्राश/प्यून की पदोन्नति।
इस अवसर पर #CRPF मुख्यालय में आयोजित #PippingCeremony के दौरान बल के १२ कार्मिकों को रैंक लगाया गया।… pic.twitter.com/ZsfbqedFxf

— CRPF (@crpfindia) September 30, 2024

CRPF Director General (DG) A D Singh along with senior officers piped the ranks on the uniforms of the personnel and congratulated them in the presence of their family members at the force headquarters, a senior officer said.

“Every member of the CRPF, regardless of their position, plays a vital role in our mission to ensure the safety and security of our nation. This initiative recognises that dedication and service can come from every corner of our force,” the DG said.

The 217 personnel have been promoted from the rank of constable to the next higher rank of head constable, he said.

These personnel were never promoted and they retired in the same rank in which they were recruited after serving for an average of about 30-35 years, as per officials.

The about 3.25-lakh personnel strength CRPF, designated as the lead internal security force of the country, is primarily deployed in three combat theatres of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) combat, counterterrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and anti-insurgency operations in the northeast. 

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