The Manipur government, in a letter sent to the Home Ministry on Saturday, requested scrapping of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, under the jurisdiction of six police stations in the state. This decision was taken after the state cabinet meeting held on Friday. The Cabinet asked the Central Government to reconsider and cancel its decision to reimpose AFSPA in areas under the jurisdiction of Semkai, Lamsang, Lamlai, Jiribam, Limakhong and Morang police stations.
A few days after the latest violence in Jiribam, on November 14, the Union Home Ministry announced the reimposition of AFSPA in these areas. Caste violence began in Manipur on May 3, 2023 and shows no signs of stopping. On November 12, armed militants attacked the Borobekra police station in Jiribam district. There is a CRPF camp in this police station and there is also a relief camp nearby. In retaliation, the CRPF killed 11 militants. A CRPF jawan was also shot.
Also read: Internet cut in 7 districts of Manipur, curfew in two districts… Government alert after the discovery of 6 bodies in Jiribam
Following an encounter between militants and security forces, 6 people were kidnapped from Borobreka relief camp. Two days later, three bodies were recovered near the confluence of Jiri and Barak rivers on the Manipur-Assam border. Protesting against this kidnapping and murder, protesters gathered at Keeshampat Junction in the capital Imphal on Saturday afternoon and raised slogans against the Biren Singh government. People also protested outside the BJP headquarters. The protesters wanted to march to the CM’s residence and meet Biren Singh. Their demand is that the culprits who kidnapped 6 people from the relief camp be arrested within 24 hours.
Attack on houses of ministers and MLAs
To disperse the crowd, the police had to launch lathi charges and fire tear gas. Sporadic protests also occurred in other parts of the state. On Saturday, protesters attacked the residences of three Manipur ministers and six MLAs, following which the government had to impose a curfew in the Imphal Valley. Considering the tense situation, the Manipur government has suspended internet service in six districts. Police officials suspect that the bodies recovered are those of the six people kidnapped in Jiribam district. Imphal Valley-based civil society organizations have alleged that militants had abducted six people from the relief camp while they were retreating after security forces foiled their attack on Borobekra police station.
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The angry mob vandalized the houses of three of the six MLAs and set their properties on fire. Security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters in different parts of Imphal. An indefinite curfew has been imposed in Imphal Valley East and West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching districts due to the deteriorating law and order situation. Internet services have been temporarily suspended in seven districts. A mob attacked the residence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Sapam Ranjan Lamphel Sanakeithel in Imphal West district.
Police said the protesters also broke into the residence of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister L Susindero Singh in Khurai area of Imphal East district. The mob also attempted to storm Susindro Singh’s residence, after which security forces had to fire several rounds of tear gas to disperse them. The protesters also attacked the residence of Municipal Administration Housing Development Minister Y Khemchand in Singjamei area of Imphal West district.
History of AFSPA in Manipur
Manipur has been declared a disturbed area under the AFSPA since 1980. In early 2004, the AFSPA was withdrawn from parts of Imphal following fierce protests by local people following the murder of 32-year-old Thangjam Manorama. Beginning in 2022, AFSPA was phased out from some additional districts. In April 2022, AFSPA was withdrawn from 15 police stations in six districts. With its withdrawal from four other police stations on April 1, 2023, the AFSPA was removed from the jurisdiction of a total of 19 police stations. All these areas belonged to the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley.
Also Read: Manipur: Of the 6 meitei who were kidnapped, the bodies of three were found floating in the river.
Announcing the decision to withdraw AFSPA from the jurisdiction of four more police stations on March 25, 2023, the Union Home Ministry said in a statement: “Due to the tireless efforts of the Modi government, there has been improvement significant in the security situation in Manipur because the decision has been taken to withdraw AFSPA from the areas declared disturbed earlier Just over a month after this decision, on May 3, 2023, the caste conflict began in the state. It’s been 18 months, but instead of subsiding, the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Jo communities is increasing.
How did violence start in Manipur?
The violence in Manipur began on May 3 last year, when arson and vandalism occurred during a demonstration by the Kuki-Jo tribal community against a Manipur High Court order. In fact, the Meitei community had filed a petition in the Manipur High Court demanding that they be granted tribal status. The Meitei community argued that Manipur had merged with India in 1949. They had tribal status before. With the hearing on the petition over, the Manipur High Court recommended to the state government that consideration should be given to including the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST).
The Kuki-Jo community is against giving Meitei tribal status. They say 40 of the 60 assembly seats in the state are already in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley. In such a situation, if Meitei gains tribal status, the proportion of the Kuki-Jo community on the reservation will be reduced. The majority of the Meitei population lives in the Imphal Valley and the plains of Manipur, while the majority of the Kuki-Jo community lives in the mountainous areas. The Meiteis are Hindu, while the Kukis follow Christianity.
Also Read: Manipur six people kidnapping case gaining momentum, Meitei leaders called for immediate action.
The period of violence between these two communities in Manipur has been going on for a year and a half now. During this period there have been 237 deaths and more than 1,500 people have been injured. At the same time, 60,000 people are forced to leave their homes and live in relief camps. In the last one and a half years, around 11,000 FIRs have been registered in Manipur and 500 arrests have been made. The state of Manipur is divided into hilly and flat parts. The Meiteis live in the plain districts and the Kukis live in the mountainous districts. There is such enmity between the two communities that if a Meitei from the plains reaches the mountainous area and a Kuki from the mountainous area reaches the plains, then it may not be possible for them to return alive.
