An image showing Meitei groups trying to storm a police station in Manipur, September 21, 2023.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Chaos prevailed in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley of Manipur on Thursday as members of Meira Paibis, the Meitei women vigilante group, tried to storm police stations demanding the unconditional release of five youths who were arrested recently.
Amid the chaos, curfew was re-imposed in Imphal East and Imphal West district in the conflict-hit state while police fired tear gas shells as the women protesters imposed blockades on several roads and clashed with security forces who tried to stop them from storming police stations. The protesters took to the streets as part of their "jail bharo" protest, demanding release of the five youths claiming that they were innocent.
Police said the five Meitei youths were arrested on September 16 as they were allegedly caught with sophisticated weapons and were found misusing police uniforms. The youths were booked under Sections under Unlawful (Activities Prevention) Act and IPC.
However, the women protesters claimed that they were not "armed miscreants" as claimed by police but were "village volunteers" who tried to 'defend' the Meitei villages from attacks by "narco terrorists" belonging to the Kukis. Kuki groups, on the other hand, claim that such "armed miscreants" are targeting the Kukis and are being assisted by police and Meira Paibis in carrying out attacks on the Kukis.
Meitei women groups had earlier imposed a 48-hour bandh in Imphal Valley demanding release of the five youths. On Thursday, a large number of women protesters stormed the Heingang police station, Andro police station, Kwakeithel police outpost, Nambol police station, Bishnupur police station, Keibul police station, besides some others in the Imphal Valley. The protesters said that they should be put into jail till the youths are released. Several of them were injured in the stampede caused by firing of tear gas shells by police and other central forces.
More than 175 people have died and over 60,000 others have been displaced due to the violence between sections of the Meitei and Kuki community since May 3. Sporadic incidents of firing involving both the Meiteis and the Kukis still remain a concern in the state. The drive against such "armed miscreants" was launched as the state police faced allegations of having a "partisan role" towards the Meiteis. However, vociferous protests by women groups have put security forces in a spot.