Manipur: The Indian Army “released” at least 12 militants after they were surrounded by a 1,500-strong “women-led mob” in the northeastern state of Manipur that has been experiencing ethnic violence for about two months.
The security forces confirmed they were forced to release the militants belonging to separatist group Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL). The army had earlier held with arms, ammunition and war-like stores.
Under the grip of unprecedented violence, the clashes first erupted after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was called by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM).
The march was organised in protest against the demand for inclusion of the area’s majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, following a 19 April Manipur High Court directive.
Under Indian law some government jobs, college admissions and electoral seats – from village councils to parliament – are reserved for communities under the ST category as a form of affirmative action to tackle historical structural inequality and discrimination.
The Kuki community has opposed the Meitei community’s inclusion in the list, fearing opportunity and job loss due to the group’s demographically and politically advantageous position.
“At around 2.30pm, acting on specific intelligence inputs, an operation was launched by security forces in Itham village in Imphal East after which a cordon was laid… In the ensuing operation, 12 KYKL cadres were apprehended along with arms, ammunition and war-like stores,” an army spokesperson told Hindustan Times.
Soon after “a mob of 1,200-1,500 led by women and [a] local leader immediately surrounded the target area and prevented the security forces from going ahead with the operation. Repeated appeals to the aggressive mob to let security forces carry on with the operation as per the law did not yield any result”, the spokesperson said.
The army defended the move to release the militants belonging to the separatist group, calling it “mature” and saying that it “shows [the] humane face of the Indian Army”.
“Keeping in view the sensitivity of use of force against the mob led by women and likely casualties due to such action, decision was taken to hand over all 12 cadres to the local leader,” a spokesperson told The Times of India.
Please visit our website London Institute of Peace Research for latest peace news
