Imphal: At 12 noon Tuesday, the Imphal Valley stood eerily empty, with closed shutters, blocked intersections, and every vehicle being subjected to thorough inspections. The stringent 48-hour ‘curfew’ is enforced by the locals themselves, not the police.
Their motive: a fervent protest against the arrest of five Meiteis who were caught roaming around in police uniform with sophisticated weaponry on 16 September.
The imposters were taken into custody by the police, something that the locals did not approve of and started a violent protest. An armed mob stormed the Porompat police station in Imphal East, where the men were detained, demanding that they be released. To disperse the crowd, the police along with central forces fired tear gas shells.
A crowd again flocked outside the police station the next day, demanding for the release of the men. They even threatened the police that failure to do so would result in Imphal “going up in flames”.
Manipur has been caught in a cycle of ethnic violence since 3 May. Since then, more than 200 people have been killed, over 1,200 left grievously injured and over 50,000 forced to abandon their homes. The challenge of restoring law and order continues to loom large.
Amid such large-scale violence and registration of over 6,500 cases, only 280 arrests have been made. Investigations in most cases have made no headway, hampered by the resistance and aggressive local opposition from the locals, exacerbating the already precarious situation.
According to the police, at this stage, it is difficult to arrest and produce the accused in courts. Both in the valley and hill regions, community-led armed crowds often intervene during arrests, compelling the police to release detainees. In some instances, these mobs even appear outside courtrooms or judges’ residences during the accused’s appearances, police sources said.
“If we make any arrest, a crowd from the person’s community gathers and corners us, forcing us to release the accused. They get violent and do not allow us to function. It is extremely difficult to make arrests,” a police source said. “This 48-hour bandh that you see in Imphal is not a curfew imposed by the police, but by the Meira Paibi groups.”
This is also one of the major reasons why the police have been unable to recover a significant number of looted weapons. Over four months have passed since more than 200 AK-47s, 406 carbines, 551 INSAS rifles, 250 machine guns, and over 6.5 lakh rounds of ammunition were looted from police armouries and stations, primarily in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley.
However, there have been no substantial recoveries, leaving a significant arsenal in the hands of locals and exacerbating the cycle of violence. According to police data, of the 5,668 stolen sophisticated automatic weapons, only around 1,331 were recovered so far.
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‘If they don’t listen, violence will be only option’
At Singjamei Chingamakhong in Imphal West, women dressed in traditional Manipuri saris and headgear have taken position, brandishing sticks. They halt every passing vehicle, check it extensively and direct the driver to take alternative routes.
Another group in the vicinity is busy discussing their next course of action and they start making calls. “Our demand is very simple: release our men. They are innocent,” Licila, a Meira Paibi says. “Right now, we are doing a peaceful bandh, but if we are not heard, there will be a lot of violence. We will torch vehicles, police stations and more. They should not push us to the edge,” she adds in an aggressive tone.
Following the arrest of the five men, the valley residents have started accusing the police of being partisan and unfair. They asserted that the arrested men were members of the village defence committee, who were safeguarding their own community against the Kukis.
“These men wore uniforms and picked up arms to protect us against the Kukis who are constantly attacking us. How could the police put them behind bars? They not only registered a case but also arrested them. We will not let this injustice happen,” Licila says.
Her friend, Aying Devi agrees. “These men are innocent. They are commoners. If the Kukis can have their armies, why can’t we? This is for our own defence.”
Another protester Munna, who goes by a single name, threatens to carry out violence if the demand is not met. “We will not let the police detain our people like this. How is this even justified? We will give a call and each person in the valley will be on the road if they do not release these five men. And then, we will see how the police control the crowd,” he says.
Challenge for CBI
Even the CBI teams currently stationed in the Imphal Valley to investigate the 27 cases handed over to them, are facing significant challenges in moving around, owing to sporadic protests and blockades by locals, according to police sources.
When the team went to the Manipur Police Training Centre in Pangei, Imphal East last month, from where mobs looted weapons, including SLRs, INSAS, LMGs, .303 rifles, carbines, as well as grenades, tear gas shells and thousands of rounds of ammunition on 27 May, they were surrounded by people and forced to return, sources revealed.
“The Meiteis thought that the CBI would start making arrests from nearby villages, so they cornered the team and forced them to return,” a police source said. “In another instance, the Meiteis did a sit-in in protest at a site where the team had gone for investigation near Bishnupur, obstructing their work.”
The police are providing security to the CBI teams to ensure that the work is carried out smoothly. “We send our teams with them. The local police units are attached to each team. Initially there were hiccups and even now, sometimes, the crowd has to be handled, but the teams are working and we are ensuring that the process is smooth,” the source said.
The CBI has taken over the investigation in 27 FIRs lodged in connection with ethnic clashes in Manipur. These include 19 cases of crime against women, three related to an armoury looted by a mob, two of murder and one each of rioting and murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy, a source in the agency confirmed.
A team of 53 officers, including 29 women, from various CBI units are stationed in Imphal and SP-ranked officers are supervising and monitoring the investigation, the source said.
The CBI teams have started visiting crime scenes, along with the experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the questioning of suspects has begun. However, no arrests have been made till now.
“The situation is not conducive for arrest. Teams are working to collect evidence, record statements, and question suspects. Work is in full swing,” a CBI source said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)