Guwahati:

Days after President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur, protests could be seen at different parts of Valley areas. While the Kuki-dominated hill districts welcomed the Central government’s decision, the civil society organisations based in Meitei-dominated valley districts have been demanding the revocation of the decision.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity demanded the revocation of President’s Rule and asked the Central Government to reinstate the popular government. 

Ten MLAs from the Kuki community, however, have welcomed the decision.

Different women’s groups from Imphal East gathered at Thumbutgong Brahmapur areas today and shouted slogans, demanding a popular government in the state as soon as possible.

Talking to media persons, woman volunteer BM Roji said people are angry and suffering due to political instability in the state. Different Meira Paibi organisations are protesting against the Central government’s decision to impose President’s Rule, she said.

After many tribal organisations of Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities, 10 Manipur tribal MLAs, who have also been demanding separate administrations or a Union Territory with the legislature for tribals in the state, expressed hope today that the Centre would lay out a comprehensive political roadmap for peace.  

The ten tribal legislators, of which seven belong to the BJP, while acknowledging the Centre’s decision to place the Manipur Assembly under suspended animation, expressed hope that the government would lay out a comprehensive political roadmap for peace and justice under a negotiated settlement.

“We also look forward to time-bound measures to end the sufferings that the conflict-affected and internally displaced people continue to undergo,” the MLAs said in a joint statement.
 

Guwahati:

Chaos was reported from Saibol in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district as Kuki-Zo civil society groups alleged highhandedness by security forces during protests by the women of their community.

The protest was against what the women alleged was the forceful occupation of community bunkers by security personnel. 

Security forces reportedly deployed tear gas shell and used force, the Kuki-Zo groups claimed. Several women claimed they were manhandled, pushed, and dragged.

Some of the injured women were taken to the nearest hospital, which is two hours away, some were given first aid in a nearby villages.

Following the crackdown on women, the Kuki-Zo groups have demanded that Central forces be removed from Saibol.

The Committee on Tribal Unity of CoTU of Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi district, has issued a stern warning to the government, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Central Forces from Saibol by 4 pm. 

Failure to comply will result in the imposition of an indefinite economic blockade on National Highway 2, a critical lifeline that connects the region to the rest of the country.

The alleged use of force on women has sparked outrage across the region, with calls for accountability growing louder by the hour.
“We will not stand idly by as our people are oppressed and abused,” said Kaiminlen Sitlhou from CoTU. 

“The government has until 4 pm on December 31 to de-escalate this crisis. If they fail to act, we will take decisive action by blocking National Highway 2, a move that will have severe economic consequences,” the spokesperson added.

Going against the stand of Manipur government, a key Kuki-Zo civil society group has urged the Centre to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to all 13 remaining police stations in Manipur’s valley districts.

The tribal body, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), has urged the withdrawal of AFSPA from the hill districts, including Leimakhong, citing sufficient military presence to maintain peace.

The statement comes in response to a recent notification issued by the Home Ministry on November 14, designating six police stations in Greater Imphal as “disturbed areas” under AFSPA, effective October 1, 2024.

The tribal body also criticised the government’s lack of “sincerity and genuineness” in addressing the ongoing crisis in the state.

It alleged that Imphal’s unrest was fueled by armed militants who allegedly forced valley representatives to swear allegiance to their demands at Kangla Fort earlier this year, undermining both state and central security forces.

The looting of state armories in Imphal, resulting in widespread public possession of illegal firearms was also highlighted.

It underlined that resolving the security crisis requires a balanced approach, ensuring that the disturbed area tag applies comprehensively in valley regions while respecting the relative stability of hill districts.

“This selective implementation of AFSPA reflects a lack of commitment to restoring normalcy and addressing root causes,” it said.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said sources, reviewed the security situation in Manipur and directed top officials to take all possible steps to ensure peace in the northeastern state.

The move came as the situation in Manipur, which has been reeling from ethnic strife since May last year, continued to be volatile following protests and violence after the recovery of bodies of women and children.

Manipur has seen a fresh wave of protests after six people went missing from a camp for displaced persons in Jiribam on Monday. The six bodies were recovered from a river in Manipur over two days.

On Saturday, irate mobs set ablaze the residences of three more BJP legislators, one of whom is a senior minister, and a Congress MLA in various districts of Imphal Valley even as security forces foiled an attempt to storm the ancestral residence of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, officials said.