Manipur violence: 1,100 looted weapons recovered from 10 bunkers

On Saturday, 24 June, 1,100 weapons and 13,702 items of ammunition were recovered from 10 bunkers in Manipur's Kangpokpl district. Security forces believe these are some of the 'thousands' of looted weapons that went missing from state armouries after violence broke out in the state on May 3.

Reports from the state also claim lakhs of ammunition items went missing from various police stations and security posts over the subsequent days.

Currently, Manipur police say the situation continues to be tense throughout the state, with reports of scattered incidents from various districts.

Yesterday, for instance, two 'abandoned' tribal villages in the hills were attacked by armed men apparently coming in from the Imphal Valley.

However, 53 days into the strife and with thousands fleeing their homes, curfew was finally relaxed in five valley districts today — for 12–15 hours in Pherzawl and Jiribam, for 8–10 hours in Tengnoupal, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi. The latter two districts have been the epicenter of violence since the start, so this is certainly some improvement.

There is no curfew in the remaining six hill districts, mostly home to the Naga tribal communities.

Movement of goods-laden trucks carrying essentials, food grains and life-saving drugs along the Imphal–Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) has been ensured with strict security measures.

However, even yesterday, security forces were unable to send in reinforcements because of blockades on the highways leading to Imphal by members of the Meira Paibi women's organisation.

Meanwhile, officials said that the Manipur government has handed over the June 21 IED blast case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Three people were injured in the blast, from an improvised explosive device placed inside a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle parked on a bridge in Bishnupur district.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed that the vehicle came from the Churachandpur side. It is a sensitive case given the involvement of insurgents operating in the state and across the border. Hence, it has been transferred to the NIA," an official said.

Manipur has around 400 km of unfenced border with Myanmar.

Meanwhile, patrolling, flag marches and cordon and search operations are in evidence in the 'vulnerable areas' — identified as the fringe areas of hill and valley districts.

The Manipur government has again appealed to the people to extend all possible help in restoring normalcy in the state.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, civilians from various tribes came together in yet another demonstration directed at the Centre to revive peace and stability, ensure protection for tribal people and their lands, and (for some) institute a separate tribal administration distinct from the currently Meitei-dominated dispensation. (It must be remembered the Meitei community's recent insistence on regaining a tribal identity and being declared a scheduled tribe, with the apposite access to reserved land in the hilly areas beyond Imphal Valley, seems to have been the tinder that set light to a longstanding rivalry between clans and communities in the state.)

With inputs from IANS