In a troubling turn of events, a police officer in Manipur, a northeastern state of India, was shot dead by suspected insurgents while overseeing the construction of a helipad in Moreh, a trading town on the border with Myanmar. This brazen attack has sparked concerns and marked a significant increase in hostilities between security forces and insurgents. The attack comes at a time when Manipur had been experiencing a semblance of hard-won normalcy following a period of ethnic violence.
The incident, which took place on an otherwise peaceful morning, has sent shockwaves through the region. The Manipur government swiftly condemned the act, describing it as “dastardly” and emphasizing the need for peace and restraint in the region. Communities across Manipur had been working to bring stability for nearly two months after ethnic violence erupted in the hill district of Churachandpur on May 3, subsequently spreading to other districts.
In response to the attack, the Manipur government has approved a compensation of ₹50 lakh for the family of the slain police officer and offered a government job to an eligible family member, recognizing the sacrifice made by the officer in the line of duty.
In another troubling incident, security forces thwarted an attempt to loot a police armory in Imphal, the state capital of Manipur. To restore law and order in the city, a curfew was imposed after a mob attempted to encircle a Manipur Police office complex, demanding access to firearms. In an attempt to prevent further escalation, authorities fired several rounds in the air and withdrew curfew relaxations in two districts.
Furthermore, a tribal student body known as the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) has called for a 48-hour shutdown to protest the deployment of additional police commandos in Moreh town, located in the Tengnoupal district. The KSO has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the continued presence and the added deployment of Manipur police commandos in the area, despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assurance of their withdrawal within three days during his visit to the border town.
KSO has accused the police commandos of mistreating the town’s residents following the killing of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO). These allegations have also been echoed by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum, another organization representing the Kuki-Zo community.
Tensions have been brewing in the state capital, with multiple attacks on security personnel reported. Just a day before the helipad incident, a sub-divisional police officer in Moreh town was shot dead by tribal militants. In a separate incident, three police personnel sustained bullet injuries when militants ambushed a convoy of the state force in the Tengnoupal district.
The situation in Manipur remains fragile, with the government working to restore order and address the growing unrest. The recent attacks on security forces and the rising tensions in the region underscore the ongoing challenges faced in maintaining peace and stability in this ethnically diverse state.
