The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been prolonged for six more months across Manipur, excluding 19 police stations in the Imphal valley and an adjacent area to Assam. This decision comes after the state government reviewed the ongoing law-and-order situation. The excluded areas, dominated by the Meitei community, will now require the Army and Assam Rifles to obtain state police permission to operate within them.
Security agencies have expressed concerns regarding the presence and activities of various banned terror organisations like UNLF, PLA, KYKL, PREPAK, and KCP in the Imphal valley. There’s an alarming report that about 4,537 weapons and 6.32 lakh rounds of ammunition are unaccounted for, possibly fallen into terrorist hands. This missing cache primarily disappeared from the Manipur Police Training Centre and other key locations in Imphal.
Amidst the security tensions, ethnic violence has surged in the region. Since May 3, after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’, more than 180 have been killed, opposing the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
In another development, the CBI has initiated an investigation into the disappearance and killing of two students in Manipur. Pictures of Phijam Hemjit (20) and Hijam Linthoingambi (17), found dead, recently caused public uproar. Chief Minister N Biren Singh has promised swift justice, collaborating with the central government.
