Manipur Crisis: Govt To Deploy 90 More CAPF Companies, 258 Dead In Clashes Since May 2023, Security Advisor Says

Manipur Crisis: The Union government has deployed 90 additional CAPF companies to quell ethnic violence between Meitei and Kukis, resulting in 258 deaths since last May.

The Union government has announced the deployment of 90 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to Manipur, where ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities has claimed 258 lives since May last year. Kuldiep Singh, Security Advisor to the Manipur government, provided the update during a press conference following a security review meeting on Friday.

“Today, we had a security review meeting... We are getting approximately 90 companies of extra force deployment, over and above the 198 companies already here. A sizeable portion of that has already reached Imphal,” Singh said, as quoted by news agency PTI. Representatives from the Army, CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles, and Manipur Police participated in the meeting, which discussed measures to safeguard lives and property.

Coordination cells and joint control rooms will be established across districts, with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised for critical areas, including highways and fringe zones. Chief Minister N Biren Singh was briefed on the meeting's outcomes.

The ethnic clashes, sparked by a 'Tribal Solidarity March' protesting the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status, have rendered thousands homeless. The Meiteis, who constitute 53% of Manipur's population, predominantly reside in the Imphal Valley, while Kukis and Nagas inhabit the hill districts.

Manipur Violence: Last Rites Of 9 Victims Held In Jiribam Amid Tight Security

The last rites of nine individuals, including three women and three children from the Meitei community, were conducted on Friday under tight security in Jiribam. Their bodies were recovered days after an attack by suspected Kuki-Zo insurgents on Borobekra police station and a CRPF camp on 11 November. The Joint Action Committee, formed in response to the killings, initially withheld the bodies until the state referred the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and assured action against those responsible, PTI reported.

The attack in Jiribam led to a gunfight in which ten insurgents were killed. During the retreat, militants allegedly abducted the six victims from a relief camp within the police station's compound. Their bodies were later found in the Jiri and Barak rivers. Charred remains of two elderly men were also discovered in the aftermath of the violence.

Protests erupted in Jiribam and Imphal Valley, with one protester, Kh Athouba, killed in alleged firing by security forces. His body was sent for a post-mortem to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam.

Kuldiep Singh, Security Advisor to the Manipur government, confirmed the arrest of 32 individuals involved in vandalism and arson targeting ministers' and MLAs' properties. Authorities have also recovered around 3,000 looted weapons, PTI reported.

The NIA is investigating the cases, including whether the militants involved in the abductions were part of Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups under a 2008 pact signed by the Centre, the state, and Kuki militant organisations.

Manipur's ethnically diverse regions have seen escalating violence, with Jiribam, previously spared from clashes, now affected.