Mass Protests Erupt in Imphal Valley Over Detention of Village Volunteers
HY News
21 February, 2025 11:13 pm IST
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Multiple protests broke out across the Meitei-majority Imphal valley over the detention of village volunteers in Kakching district. Security forces have intensified operations since President’s rule was imposed on February 13 to restore peace amid escalating extortion and kidnapping incidents linked to the ongoing conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos.
According to sources, security forces arrested 10 individuals from Panjao Pallumda in Kakching district during an early-morning operation on Friday, subsequently transferring them to a camp at Phundrei in Thoubal district. The move sparked widespread demonstrations led by women, with protests spreading to Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, and Bishnupur. Protesters blocked roads, burnt tyres, and chanted slogans demanding the immediate release of the detained village volunteers, forcing local shops and businesses to shutter.
Additional reports from Imphal indicated that Assam Rifles personnel had detained over 20 members of the Meitei radical outfit Arambai Tenggol in Kakching during the operation, with some of those detained reportedly being students, though authorities have not released further details.
The protests followed a recent directive from Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who set a seven-day deadline for the voluntary surrender of looted and illegally held arms and ammunition—a call made in the wake of the state being placed under President’s rule after the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9. The governor assured the public that no punitive action would be taken if weapons were returned within the stipulated time, warning that strict measures would follow thereafter.
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