Civil society organisations in Manipur have issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state administration, calling for swift and decisive action against armed militant groups in the face of a rapidly worsening crisis. The request for action comes as Manipur is still dealing with violent upheaval, including a mob’s Saturday night attempt to enter Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s home.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, has expressed his worries about the increasing violence in Manipur and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to travel there and take action to bring about peace. Gandhi expressed his deep concern on X (formerly Twitter), “The recent string of violent clashes and continuing bloodshed in Manipur is deeply disturbing. After more than a year of division and suffering, it was the hope of every Indian that the Central and State governments would have made every effort at reconciliation and found a solution. I urge the PM once again to visit Manipur and work towards restoring peace and healing in the region.”
Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla also sought goverment actions. Taking to X, he posted, “Manipur is burning again! Government should take sincere efforts for a peaceful & prosperous Manipur by taking into confidence of all stakeholders. I urge the Govt. to take proactive steps to address this crisis at the earliest. Country can’t afford the crisis to continue.”
The homes of three state ministers and six members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), including Chief Minister and BJP leader Biren Singh, were attacked by demonstrators on Saturday, further escalating the situation in Manipur.
After the bodies of six missing people were found in a Jiribam river, there were violent protests. Properties were looted and burned by protesters. Outside the Sagolband home of BJP lawmaker RK Imo, the son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, demonstrators gathered. In response, security personnel used tear gas shells to scatter the protesters in various locations throughout Imphal, the Manipur capital.
The recovery of six bodies from a camp for displaced people close to a location where security personnel killed ten Hmar men on November 11—bodies believed to be those of missing Meitei people—kicked off the current wave of violence in Manipur.
Security forces characterised the individuals who were killed as militants, but the Kuki-Zo community maintains that they were local volunteers.
A 25-year-old lady and her two children, a 31-year-old woman and her daughter, and a 60-year-old woman were among the six Meitei victims who were allegedly kidnapped by Kuki militants. The bodies of the three people were found floating in the River Jiri. They are thought to be among the six people who vanished from Jiribam on Monday. For a post-mortem examination, the bodies were sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam.
The Manipur government implemented a curfew in the districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, and Bishnupur beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday in reaction to the escalating violence.
To stop hate speech and stop incendiary videos from spreading on social media, internet and mobile data services were cut off in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi, and Churachandpur districts.
Civil society organisations have demanded action against the armed militant groups thought to be causing the attacks as tensions remain high.
The Meitei group’s 24-hour ultimatum reflects the community’s mounting annoyance as the violence interferes with day-to-day activities and compromises efforts at peacemaking. There is growing pressure on the federal and state governments to handle the current problem and stop more deaths.
