New Delhi: Amid the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur between the state’s majority Meitei and tribal Kuki communities, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) last week dispatched 20 mine-protected vehicles (MPV) to “hotspots” where “constant firing is on”, ThePrint has learnt.
The decision, sources in the CRPF said, was made as a strategy to “enhance operational efficacy” in the violence-struck state.
“There are over 14 identified hotspots from where firing is reported on a regular basis. During the cross firing our vehicles and personnel were unable to reach the area and that is why it was decided to dispatch mine-protected vehicles,” a source said.
He added: “This will help us get in the middle of violence-hit areas to control the situation.”
According to the source, several vehicles of the force have been damaged in the past three months of violence in the state.
“Many vehicles were vandalised, others were set afire and they are not safe to travel in, in a situation where bullets are being fired from all sides. This [the mine-protected vehicles] will definitely help us enhance our operational efficacy, especially in places that are volatile, like Churachandpur from where the violence began,” the source said.
According to the source, a few vehicles have been deployed at the Bishnupur-Churachandur area, which saw a spate of violence since 5 August killing three people.
“The first priority was to station the vehicle in this area that has been seeing constant violence. We have also deployed more CRPF personnel in the area,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Assam Rifles personnel deployed at the checkpost in Moirang — between Bishnupur and Kangvai — which has been witnessing clashes for the past week, were replaced with a unit of CRPF and the local police Monday, sources told ThePrint.
The order passed by Manipur Police came after a group of Meitei women, known as the Meira Paibis, held a day-long protest Monday in Imphal East and West districts, demanding the removal of the Assam Rifles force from Manipur.
Meira Paibis or ‘torchbearers’, are revered figures in the Meitei society who have taken on the role of vigilantes amid the Kuki-Meitei conflict. Generally, these women serve as the guardians of moral values among the Meiteis — working to prevent alcohol and drug abuse, and keep the peace in families.
The women have alleged that Assam Rifles was “partisan” and favoured the Kuki community, while using force against Meiteis.
The police, however, called the change a “partial modification”.
“In partial modification of this office’s order dated August 3, 2023, the naka/checkpoint at Moirang Lamkhai on the Bishnupur to Kangvai road shall be manned by civil police and CRPF in place of 9 Assam Rifles with immediate effect and until further orders,” the order said. ThePrint has a copy of the order.
At present companies of the CRPF, Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Assam Rifles (AR) and the Indian Army are posted in Manipur.
Last week Manipur Police registered an FIR against personnel of Assam Rifles for allegedly helping out “Kuki militants”.
The state has been on the boil since 3 May, following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ taken out to oppose the demand for inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category and for what was described as an effort to secure the rights and constitutional safeguards of the ethnic Kuki and their sub-tribes. According to police data, at least 160 people have died in the ethnic and over 50,000 have been displaced.
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A case against Assam rifles
Meanwhile, Manipur Police Saturday registered an FIR against personnel of Assam Rifles. The FIR accuses them of helping out “Kuki militants” to “escape freely to a safe zone” during an ongoing combing operation by the police.
According to the FIR, a copy of which is with ThePrint, a case was registered on 5 August against “personnel of 9th battalion of Assam Rifles” after they stopped the police from “discharging their law-bound duty”.
The FIR, based on a complaint by a Manipur Police personnel, claims that a police team was proceeding towards Pholjang road along Kwakta ward number 8 as follow-up action in a case of Arms Act, for conducting a search operation to “trace the accused Kuki militants that might have been taking shelter at Kwakta ward number 8”, when they were obstructed by personnel of Assam Rifles.
“On reaching the Kutub Wali Masjid located in Kwakta, the state police teams were stopped and locked their way by the personnel of 9th AR by keeping and parking their Casper vehicle in the middle of the road and obstructed discharging their law-bound duty,” the FIR says.
“As such an arrogant act of the personnel of 9th AR giving a chance to the accused Kuki militants to escape freely to somewhere a safe zone for them,” it adds.
The case has been registered under the sections of disobeying law by public servant with intent to cause injury to any person, obstructing public servant in discharge of public function, threat to injury to public servant, wrongful restraint, assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation, criminal intimidation and common intention.
On Saturday, a purported video of a Manipur Police team getting into a heated argument with Assam Rifles was widely circulated on social media. In the video, the police officers appear to be accusing Assam Rifles of “interfering in their operation”.
Talking about the incident, a police source said on condition of anonymity, “The [Assam Police] personnel did interfere with the functioning of the police. If the police are stopped from carrying out operations, making arrests and recovering weapons, the violence in Manipur will never stop,” a police source said on condition of anonymity.
A senior Assam Rifles officer, however, said that the development is “bizarre”.
“Where does it happen that one force registers a case against the other. This is bizarre. Assam Rifles have been working day and night from day one to control the violence. The force evacuated so many people in record time to ensure that casualties are not reported, Our personnel have been acting as a buffer in so many places. To accuse a force of being partisan and that too by a police force is extremely tragic,” the officer said.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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