‘Help us help Manipur’: Army urges women activists blocking security operations

Imphal: The Indian Army has appealed to women activists not to block roads and interfere with ongoing operations of security forces in violence-hit Manipur and urged people to help restore peace in the northeastern state. Terming such “unwarranted interference” as detrimental to the timely response of security forces, the Army’s Spears Corps shared a video of some such incidents on Twitter late on Monday night.

The statement came two days after a standoff between the army and a women-led mob at Itham village in Imphal East, which led to the release of 12 terrorists hiding there. “Women activists in #Manipur are deliberately blocking routes and interfering with security forces operations. Such undue interference is detrimental to timely response by security forces during critical situations to save lives and property” .

women workers #Manipur Deliberately blocking routes and interfering with operations of security forces. Such unwarranted interference is detrimental to the timely response by security forces during critical situations to save life and property.
Appeal of Indian Army… pic.twitter.com/Md9nw6h7Fx

– spearcorps.indianarmy (@spearcorps) 26 June 2023

It tweeted, “The Indian Army appeals to all sections of the population to support our efforts to restore peace. Help us help Manipur.” Officials said the standoff at Itham continued throughout the day on Saturday and was a “mature judgement” of the operational commander keeping in mind the sensitivity of using force against a large angry mob led by women and the potential casualties due to such action. ended after ,

Twelve members of Kanglei Yavol Kanna Lup (KYKL), a Meitei militant group involved in several attacks including an ambush on 6 Dogra unit in 2015, were hiding in the village, they said. The security personnel went away with the seized arms and ammunition.

Over 100 dead in Manipur caste violence

More than 100 people have lost their lives so far in caste violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state. The clashes first broke out on May 3 after a ‘tribal solidarity march’ was organized in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The Meiteis constitute about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. The tribals – the Nagas and the Kukis – form 40 per cent of the population and live in the hill districts.