Guwahati: Security forces in Manipur have begun to crack down on banned outfits, attempting a resurgence in the state by taking advantage of the ethnic conflict that has been raging since May 3, 2024.
Reports indicate that 17 insurgents from four districts in the state have been arrested over the last 24 hours.
This has come amid an appeal by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to people of the state to return arms looted from various armouries within seven days. There will be no punitive action against those who return the weapons, he assured.
According to the police, the ultras were picked up during raids carried out in the Bishnupur, Imphal West, Imphal East and Kakching districts. The insurgents were apparently making extortion attempts to revive their activities in Manipur that is now under President’s Rule.
“We arrested 13 members of the banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) from the Moirang Kiyam Leikai area of Bishnupur on Thursday. The seizures included 27 cartridges, three hand held radio sets, camouflage uniforms and other warlike stores. In a separate joint operation with the Assam Rifles, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) cadre Thokchom Ajit Singh, alias Nanao (40), was picked up from the Leimaram Canal area under the Nambol police station,” the police said.
In separate incidents, two members of the PREPAK (PRO) were also arrested on Thursday. While the Government of India has a Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki militant outfits, insurgent groups like the PREPAK (PRO), PLA and KYKL, comprising primarily of members of the Meitei and Pangal communities, refused to go in for peace talks, despite suffering heavy losses in operations carried out by the security forces.
“Several disillusioned youth left these outfits. The leaders, most of them living across the border in Myanmar, are now trying to regroup, taking advantage of the ongoing strife between the Meiteis and Kukis. They are in touch with outfits like the United National Liberation Front (UNLF). We succeeded in arresting a member of the UNLF from the Ngariyan Ching area of Imphal East. He was involved in extortion and other illegal activities. A member of the Kangleipak Communist Party was also arrested from the Bishnupur district,” a senior police officer said.
