Manipur’s CM N Biren Singh seeks state control over security amid escalating ethnic violence, demanding more powers and resuming operations against militants.
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and several MLAs from the ruling party have made a push for the security apparatus to be brought under the state government’s control amid escalating violence in a region torn apart by ethnic strife for over 16 months now.
Singh and several MLAs from the ruling alliance, including cabinet colleagues and the Speaker, made the demand in a memorandum to Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya, whom the chief minister met twice over the weekend.
The demand came as reports of another death emerged on Sunday, that of a 50-year-old woman who was struck by shrapnel when unidentified arms groups struck a CRPF camp Kangpokpi district.
A day earlier, the state recorded its the deadliest day of ethnic clashes this year when six people were killed in a spate of violence that began last week, putting the clock back on a situation that has required the Union government to deploy the Indian Army and several paramilitary units.
At least 27 MLAs who attended two meetings with Manipur chief minister Biren Singh on Saturday told the chief minister to either take control of the unified command or urge the Centre to take steps to stop the violence in the state, people aware of the matter said.
The CM’s initial meetings with the governor had prompted speculation that he could resign, but the people cited above said the MLAs in fact wanted the CM to be given more control of the unified command.
The memorandum also included a plea to suspend the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement between the government and some militants, including Kuki militants. “36s MLAs later submitted a memorandum to the governor with demands such as more powers related to heading the unified command centre, abrogation of Suspension of Operations, and rejecting the Kuki’s demand of a separate administration,” one of the officials said, asking not to be named.
The unified command, a group of 12 top officials from various government agencies, was formally formed on May 31, 2023, to restore normalcy in the state, formulate counter-insurgency strategies, maintain law and order, and ensure the safety of communities in Manipur, where Kuki groups have accused the state police of siding with the Meiteis.
The unified command oversees operations by the Army, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Assam Rifles, and Border Security Force, which have been stationed in the state. The unified command is headed by former CRPF chief Kuldiep Singh, who was appointed the security adviser to the CM by the Centre a day after violence first erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities on May 3, 2023.
MHA RESPONSE
Despite the ongoing political efforts to address the situation, violence in Manipur has escalated in recent days. Militants have turned to newer technologies such as drones and rockets, adding a fresh layer of violence to the ongoing use of rifles and grenades.
Sunday’s death, although not confirmed by officials till the time of going to print, was part of continued incidents of violence being reported from different parts of Manipur on Sunday, making it the seventh continuous day when the state was besieged by gunfights related to the ethnic clashes.
Jiribam, where six people died in the ethnic clashes on Saturday, recorded several gunfights on Sunday as well. Throughout Sunday, there were reports of gunfights from other villages in the district, which is near the Assam border.
On Saturday, a gunfight in Nungchapi, about 6 km east of Jiribam Police Station, resulted in the death of five armed miscreants after a man was attacked at his residence. On Sunday morning, another gunfight erupted between combined security forces and Kuki militants at Mongbung-Seijang village, about 18 km southeast of the Jiribam Police Station. The gunfight, which began around 4:30 am when Kuki militants attacked Meitei residences, continued until around 7 am. Later, at around 4:30 pm the same evening, the gunfight resumed between combined security forces and Kuki militants, and by 5:30 pm, the gunfight was reportedly still ongoing. No casualties were reported till the time of going to print.
According to a second official aware of the matter, the memorandum also included a demand to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with the base year 1961 to identify illegal immigrants, the protection of Manipur’s territorial boundaries, and opposing the Kuki’s demand for separate administration.