Joint Operation launched in both hills and valley in Manipur as violence continues for more than a month

Army and other security forces launched a joint operation in both the valley and hills districts on Wednesday as the violence continued in Manipur despite the presence of over 34,000 security forces and a recent appeal by Home Minister Amit Shah to give peace a chance, at least for 15 days.

The joint operation was launched a day after militants killed a BSF jawan and injured two Assam Rifles personnel in Kakching district and two days after a Meitei woman married to a Kuki man and her minor daughter were charred to death when alleged Meitei crowd set an ambulance on fire in Imphal West district.

Sources in security forces said that the joint and intensive combing operation was launched as violence continued by both the Meitei and Kuki armed persons despite Shah's appeal for peace and call for the surrender of the snatched weapons did not yield much response yet. Firing and house burning continued even during Home Minister's visit to Manipur between May 29 to June 1. Shah appealed to both communities to stop violence for 15 days so that the issues raised by them can be discussed.

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The operation was launched on a day Kuki groups staged a protest in front of Shah's residence in New Delhi alleging that Meitei armed group continued to attack and burnt the Kuki villages despite his call to give peace a chance. The Kuki Women's Forum, New Delhi said following Shah's call for peace, at least for 15-days, the Kuki "village volunteers" decided to put down their licensed weapons but the Meiteis armed groups, Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun continued the violence.

On Tuesday, some Meitei groups also submitted a memorandum alleging involvement of the Kuki insurgent groups in Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the government in the recent violence. They said Meitei villagers were not returning the weapons in order to defend them from Kuki insurgents and demanded that the SoO agreement be withdrawn to stop violence.

Also Read | Manipur violence: Members of Kuki community hold protest outside Amit Shah's residence

The clashes between the majority Meitei and the tribal Kukis have kept Manipur on the boil for more than a month now (since May 3) and led to the death of nearly 100 civilians and the displacement of over 43,000 others, both in the hills and the Valley. Kukis mainly live in the hill districts surrounding the Imphal Valley districts, which the Meiteis inhabit.

"The combing operations are aimed at de-escalation of tensions amongst communities through physical domination besides recovery of snatched weapons that are still in the illegal custody of local population. Prior to the commencement of search of houses, forests and fields in both valley as also the hills, locals were urged to voluntarily surrender illegal and snatched weapons," said a statement issued by the Army on Wednesday evening.

Snatched weapons

In a statement, Kuldiep Singh, who heads the Unified Command of all security forces, said 57 weapons, 318 ammunition and five bombs were recovered during the operation in the past 24 hours. So far 868 arms and 11,518 ammunitions have been recovered, it said. Over 4,000 weapons were snatched from armouries during the riot.

Singh said the curfew was relaxed for 12 hours in five valley districts and 10 and eight hours in the hill districts. "There is no curfew in six other hill districts," said the statement. The restriction on mobile and broadband internet, meanwhile, is still in force.

Call for PM's help

Human Rights activist, Binalakshmi Nepram said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must step in in order to stop violence and killing of innocent people in Manipur. She said there is intense fear among people belonging to all communities as killings and burning of houses are still going on in Sugnu, Serou and Phayeng areas. "The Prime Minister must speak up now. He only can stop the violence," Nepram, who leads the Northeast India Women Peace Initiative, told DH on Wednesday.