On Saturday (February 22, 2025), following the Governor’s appeal, people of the Kuki-Zomi community in Churachandpur district surrendered 16 looted and illegal weapons. The weapons, including AK rifles, under-barrel grenade launchers and gelatine sticks, were surrendered with the joint efforts of Assam Rifles, State intelligence agencies, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Manipur Police.
The AR said in a statement that the agencies organised a series of meetings with the local community and the “act of surrender of weapons in the hill and valley areas is likely to result in further surrenders in the State”.
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A day ago, a .303 rifle, magazines, bullet-proof jackets, helmets and a “looted tear gas gun” were surrendered at Kakching and Kangpokpi districts.
Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on February 20 appealed to people from all communities in the ethnic-violence-hit State to surrender looted police weapons by February 26 or face strict action.
A senior government official said that security forces, including the police and the army, have been asked to wait for the conclusion of the amnesty period and give the communities adequate opportunity to surrender the weapons before a crackdown begins.
On February 21, the Assam Rifles conducted an operation in the Kakching district where 26 armed members of Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei outfit were apprehended. The arrests were followed by protests led by women volunteers or the Meira Paibis who had an altercation with the security forces. At least ten of the apprehended individuals were juveniles and were released on compassionate grounds due to the ongoing board examinations, a defence source said.
A police official said that winning people’s trust was essential so that they are encouraged to surrender the weapons and that coercive steps may backfire. The AR recovered 11 weapons, a toy pistol, walkie-talkie sets, bullet-proof jackets and ₹2.5 lakh cash from the suspects.
Manipur Police has instructed all police districts to deposit the recovered ‘looted police weapons and ammunition’ either with the Army formations or the Assam Rifles for “safe custody.”
The instructions were first issued on January 3, the day Mr. Bhalla took charge as Governor, Manipur.
Kuki-Zo demands
On Saturday, Mr. Bhalla visited Kangpokpi where he met the members of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC).
The KZC demanded better roads, health facilities and infrastructure for the hill districts, which they said have remained neglected since May 2023. A nine-page memorandum was submitted to Mr. Bhalla which said that internally displaced people should get subsistence and relief packages from the government, irrespective of where they choose to reside, whether in camps, villages or rented premises.
A member said that they also demanded for the status quo to remain in the buffer zones, areas between hill and valley districts, where central forces are deployed.
The police are also preparing the dossiers of village chiefs and village authorities in areas where roads and highways are being blocked by armed civilians who refer them as “village volunteers”.
After ethnic violence erupted between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities in the State on May 3, 2023, more than 6,000 police weapons, lakhs of ammunition, bullet-proof jackets and tear gas shells were looted from police armouries in hill and valley districts. Over 21 months since, around 2,000 weapons have been recovered so far. A large number of weapons remain with members of the public and armed insurgent groups.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to review the security situation in Manipur on February 28, a first since President’s Rule was imposed in the State on February 13.
