NEW DELHI: A total shutdown called by 13 civil rights organizations disrupted daily life in Manipur’s Imphal Valley on Wednesday. The shutdown, which began Tuesday evening, protests the alleged abduction of three women and three children in Jiribam district.
Businesses, schools, and transportation services in all five Imphal Valley districts were closed, with government offices seeing minimal attendance. Organizers of the shutdown include the International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA), All Clubs Organisations Association and Meira Paibi Lup (ACOAM Lup), Indigeneous People’s Association of Kangleipak (IPAK), and Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA).
Unrest in Jibran: Trucks set ablaze
While no major incidents were reported in Imphal Valley, violence continued elsewhere. Two trucks transporting goods were set ablaze near Old Kaiphundai in Tamenglong district, near Jiribam.
Suspected hill-based militants stopped the trucks along NH 37 by firing several rounds in the air and then torched the trucks, an official said. The Rongmei Naga Students Organisation, Manipur blamed Kuki militants for the incident.
The trucks were transporting rice, onions and potatoes for Noney and Tamenglong districts, the students’ body claimed in a statement.
Centre rushes 2,500 CAPF personnel; seize weapons
Ministry of home affairs (MHA) has deployed 2,500 additional central paramilitary personnel to Manipur in response to the escalating violence. This deployment brings the total number of central armed police forces (CAPF) in the state to 218 companies, comprising over 29,000 personnel.
Fifteen companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be repositioned from Assam, while an additional five companies from the Border Security Force (BSF) will be transferred from Tripura.
These forces will join the existing security apparatus, which includes the army and Assam Rifles, in maintaining order in the region.
During searches in Jiribam district, security personnel found one 2-inch mortar, thirty-six live barrel cartridges, and five empty barrel cartridges in the areas of Champanagar, Narayanpur, and Thangboipunjre.
In Churachandpur district, forces seized a cache of weapons in H Kotlian village. The seizure included one .303 rifle, one 9mm pistol, two short-range locally made cannons, two long-range locally made cannons, five AK 47 live rounds, two 9mm live rounds, four 12 bore cart cases, and eighteen .303 rifle modified live rounds.
13 fatalities since Nov 7
This incident follows a fierce gunfight on Monday between security forces and suspected militants in Jiribam district, which continues to be a site of unrest following a series of violent incidents that began in June.
Last Monday, a reported ten ‘armed militants’ were killed during a counteroffensive by the CRPF and police. The operation followed an attack on two security posts. On Tuesday, two bodies were discovered near the site of the gunfight. The deceased, both elderly residents of a displacement shelter, were found with bullet wounds and burn injuries respectively.
Violence also erupted in Bishnupur on 8th November, where a woman harvesting paddy was shot and killed, allegedly by tribal militants. In response to the ongoing violence, the Kuki Students’ Organisation has announced their ‘non-cooperation’ with the CRPF. They demand that all personnel remain confined to their camps until an apology is issued for the killing of individuals they claim were village volunteers, but labeled as militants by the force.
‘Facial part missing’: Mom of 3 was brutally tortured before being set ablaze
A 31-year-old mother of three was found dead in her Jiribam village home on November 7th. The woman, a tribal resident of Zairawn village, was found with burns on her body.
The autopsy report indicated signs of torture, including nail marks and burns that suggest they were inflicted before death. The report revealed severe burns covering 99% of the body, leaving even bone fragments charred. The deceased also had a ‘wound in the back of the right thigh’ and a ‘metallic nail embedded in the medial aspect of the left thigh.’
Meanwhile, photos of the six abducted individuals have circulated on social media, but police have not confirmed their authenticity. Rescue operations are ongoing.
The state’s Congress unit demanded the immediate release of the women and children, calling for central government intervention.
“The situation in the state has worsened in the last few days and nothing is predictable. The rescue or release of the captive women and children on humanitarian grounds would be the most desirable and righteous decision,” stated CLP leader Okram Ibobi Singh. He criticised the state government for failing to protect its citizens and called for a ceasefire and dialogue between warring communities.
Manipur has faced ongoing ethnic violence since May of last year, resulting in over 200 deaths and widespread displacement. Clashes between the Meitei community and Kuki-Zo groups have recently spread to the previously peaceful Jiribam district.
