Arson, stone pelting in Manipur’s Thoubal. Students want central forces, CM to go

Police use tear gas shells to disperse crowds; five students and one officer have been injured in clashes.

Vehicle set ablaze outside the SP office in the Thoubal district in Manipur | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Imphal: Scores of protesters, including women and students, gathered outside the heavily guarded office of the district collector (DC) in Manipur’s Thoubal on Monday, pelting stones, damaging government property, vandalising public property and setting cars ablaze, demanding the removal of central forces and key officers posted in the state.

Protesters gather outside the office of the police superintendent in Thoubal district | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Five students and one policeman were injured in clashes as the police tried to disperse the crowd using tear gas shells. The police have registered an FIR, a senior officer told ThePrint.

Meira Paibis trying to control the violence | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

According to sources in the security establishment, the Thoubal area is a bastion of Opposition leaders, and due to that, it has been witnessing intense protests over the last few weeks. Among six MLAs in the area, three from the Congress have been demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Biren Singh for his failure to contain the situation. Two others from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have also been critical of the CM.

A car burning outside the SP office | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

The students also submitted a memorandum to the DC office, saying they want the central security forces to leave and the current government to resign.

The protesters also chanted slogans outside the Raj Bhavan, demanding that Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, and 50 MLAs resign on moral grounds. They demanded that the state government take over the charge of Unified Command from the Centre and that the paramilitary forces leave the state.

A police personnel closing the gate of the SP office | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

They also demanded the scrapping of the Suspension of Operations agreement between the Centre and the two umbrella organisations of Kuki insurgent groups. Moreover, they expressed concerns over the recent rocket and drone bombing attacks and incidents of killings and arson.

A volunteer with a mic addressing the protesters | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

More than eleven people, including Kukis and Meiteis, have been killed in the recent spate of violence in Manipur in the last two weeks. The situation is much worse than before, with drone bombs and rocket launchers now used to carry out the attacks.

Protests are on in several parts of the state | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Speaking to ThePrint, a senior police officer said, “Students across Imphal West, Kakching and Thoubal districts took out massive rallies against fresh violence in the state. The rally was from the Thoubal college to the DC office, but it turned violent as some students started pelting stones at the DC office.”

Meira Paibis outside the SP office | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

He added that stones pelted by students left five of them injured in the clashes.

“To disperse the crowd, the police used tear gas, and the crowd moved towards the court complex. There, they set fire to a car which belonged to a civilian. And then, they reached the SP Thoubal office,” the officer said.

Protesters standing to block the roads near the SP office | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

A source in the security establishment said the protest is ongoing in several parts of the state, but in Thoubal—a bastion of Opposition MLAs—it is often more fierce.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)