Manipur violence: One protester shot dead; 5,000 more troops deployed as curfew continues

Imphal/New Delhi: Defying curfew restrictions, a Meitei group took to the streets in Imphal's west district on Monday, locking several government offices in protest against the recent killings in Jiribam. Meanwhile, the Centre decided to deploy approximately 5,000 additional paramilitary troops to address the "volatile" situation in Manipur, following a review meeting led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh also convened an emergency meeting with ministers and MLAs from the ruling NDA to assess the law and order situation. This came a day after the National People's Party (NPP) withdrew its support from the BJP-led government, further complicating the political climate.

In the midst of the unrest, a protester was shot dead during a clash between security forces and a mob that had been vandalising property in Babupara, Jiribam district, according to police. The deceased has been identified as K Athouba, a man in his twenties, a police officer confirmed.

In New Delhi, Home Minister Amit Shah held a second consecutive day of meetings to review the security situation in Manipur, with instructions given to senior officials to prioritise restoring peace and order as swiftly as possible, PTI reported.

Members of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a powerful Meitei community organisation, stormed the office complex of the Chief Electoral Officer at Lamphelpat. They chained the doors and locked the premises in protest. Protesters also locked the main doors of the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) at Takyel, as well as the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, located just a short distance away from the CEO’s office.

In response, Ningthoujam Geoffrey, the Secretary to the Chief Minister, urged COCOMI to refrain from violent protests and engage in peaceful dialogue. The organisation had previously announced its intention to close all government offices in protest against what it described as the Centre’s "failure" to protect citizens from militant attacks.

Police confirmed that one person was killed by gunfire on Sunday night, though it remains unclear who fired the shots. Eyewitnesses, however, suggested that the shots came from the direction of security forces. That same night, offices of the Congress and BJP, as well as the home of an Independent MLA from Jiribam, were ransacked by protesters.

On Monday, sources reported that the post-mortem of five of the six people who went missing from Jiribam following a gunfight on November 11 had been completed at a state-run hospital in Silchar, Assam. The bodies were recovered from the Jiri River in Jiribam and the Barak River in Assam's Cachar district over the past few days. The missing persons had been caught in the crossfire between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants, resulting in the deaths of 10 insurgents. One body, identified as a woman, was found floating in the Barak River in Lakhipur's Singerbond area and is believed to be the last of the six missing individuals. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and Manipur police are working to verify her identity.

Meanwhile, K Rishikanta, Vice President of the BJP’s SC Morcha in Manipur, resigned from his position, citing personal reasons. On November 15, members of the BJP’s Jiribam Mandal also resigned, citing an "unwelcome and helpless situation" in both Jiribam and Manipur as a whole.

In Imphal Valley, an uneasy calm prevailed as curfew remained in place and internet services were suspended. Markets and businesses, except for pharmacies, were closed, and public transport was largely off the roads, though a few private vehicles were seen. The suspension of internet and mobile data services in Imphal Valley, as well as in the districts of Kangpokpi and Churachandpur, was extended until November 20 following a law and order review.

Manipur’s JD(U) MLA Abdul Nasir wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to declare those responsible for the killings in Jiribam as "terrorists".

The RSS condemned the ongoing violence in Manipur and called on both the state and central governments to work towards a "sincere" resolution of the conflict. "It is unfortunate that the violence in Manipur, which began on May 3, 2023, is still unresolved. Innocent people have suffered greatly due to the ongoing unrest," the RSS’s Manipur unit stated in a public message.