Manipur Stand-Off: Mob Blocks Indian Army's Counter-Insurgency Operation

While the army's operation to nab alleged insurgents was successful at first, here's what happened next.

Security personnel patrol the violence-hit area of Irengbam village of Bishnupur district in Manipur on Monday, 19 June. Image used for representational purposes only.

(Photo: PTI)

The Indian Army released 12 alleged insurgents after the intervention of a women-led mob in Manipur.

Know more: The incident took place on Saturday, 24 June, in Itham village located within the state's Imphal East district, according to a report by The Indian Express.

• The alleged insurgents who were caught and released belonged to a banned group called Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), the report said.

• They were found to be in possession of arms, ammunition, and war-like stores, according to an army spokesperson.

Peer pressure? While the army's operation to nab the alleged insurgents was successful, here's what happened next:

• A mob comprising 1,200-1,500 local residents "immediately surrounded the target area," an army spokesperson was quoted as saying.

• “Repeated appeals to the aggressive mob to let the security forces carry on with operation as per law did not yield any positive result," they added.

"Keeping in view the sensitivity of the use of kinetic force against a large irate mob led by women and likely casualties due to such action, a considered decision was taken to hand over all 12 cadres to the local leader," the army spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Yes, but: The army reportedly seized the weapons that had been found in the area.

Why it matters: Self-styled Lt Col Moirangthem Tamba alias Uttam was one of the 12 cadres that was let go. He had allegedly orchestrated an ambush which had claimed the lives of 18 soldiers in 2015, The Indian Express reported, citing army inputs.

Notably, KYKL has been blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by the National Investigation Agency. It is a Meitei insurgent group that was set up in 1994, as per the report.

State of affairs: Manipur has seen unrest for more than 50 days now.

• A 'Tribal Solidarity March' had been organised by a students body on 3 May 2023, as a mark of protest against the proposed inclusion of the Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.

• But the march quickly escalated into large-scale violence, with vehicles and structures being torched.

• So far, the violence in the state has claimed almost 100 lives and displaced at least 35,000 people.

In the wake of the situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called for an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, 24 June. In a post-meeting media interaction, the ruling party highlighted its efforts to deescalate tensions in the state. However, the Congress party claimed that it had not been given enough time to convey its points at the gathering.