Challenge for security forces as armed militias keep Manipur on the boil

Meitei and Kuki armed groups are becoming increasingly bold and audacious with every passing day.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Government of India is working towards recalibrating its strategy and standard operating procedure vis-a-vis Manipur, where the situation continues to remain volatile despite New Delhi’s best efforts. As part of the new strategy, top police officials, who were brought from outside in different roles last year to check the violence, but have failed to do so, are likely to be replaced with new people. Apart from this, the government is mulling to give a “free-hand” to troops on the ground to counter the heavily armed insurgents.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is facing stiff challenges from militant organization Arambai Tenggol, which is composed of people from the Meitei community. The group has assumed the role of law enforcers in many parts of Manipur and in many instances have forced the state and the central forces to retreat even as they take law in order in their own hands. In response, the opposing Kuki groups too have armed themselves with heavy artillery and as seen in videos accessed by The Sunday Guardian, have successfully been able to force the Indian armed forces to go back without completing their combing operations.

The sensitive state, that has international borders, is witnessing a series of violent incidents that started in May last year, which has failed to ebb despite the Central government taking an what it has called a “balanced” approach in the sensitively located state, where intelligence agencies of neighbouring countries have a history of making their presence felt. Sources in the security establishment posted in the state said that the morale of the armed forces was very low and unless New Delhi removes the factor of the threat perception that armed groups of both these communities have been able to create for themselves, things will deteriorate rapidly as the locals were losing confidence in the state machinery to maintain law and order.