Manipur’s new Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla is reported to have taken decisive steps to address ethnic unrest, as the administration agrees to review the controversial deployment of central forces from the Meitei-dominated valley into Kuki areas. The move signals a commitment to fostering peace and rebuilding trust in the conflict-ridden state.
BY PC bureau
In a sign of new Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s commitment to restoring peace in Manipur, the administration has agreed to review the decision to deploy central forces from the Meitei-dominated valley to certain Kuki areas.
After the authorities agreed to consider this demand of Kuki groups from Kangpokpi district agreed to life a five-day economic blockade on Sunday and reopened the critical NH-2 route linking Imphal and Dimapur for goods and passenger traffic.
PR-4/01/25
Lifting of Economic Blockade & Shutdown in reaching an understanding with concern authority.@rashtrapatibhvn@PMOIndia @narendramodi @AmitShah @PIBHomeAffairs @ThePrintIndia @thewire_in @timesofindia @htTweets @PCITweets @PTI_News @AP pic.twitter.com/jckTj9w5oD— COTU (@COTU_Kangpokpi) January 4, 2025
An umbrella organisation of various Kuki-zo groups, the CoTU also ended a district-wide shutdown that began last Thursday.
The protests were sparked by the deployment of valley-based central forces in Saibol, a border area in Kangpokpi, and alleged use of excessive force on women opposing the deployment. CoTU’s statement, issued Saturday night, announced the withdrawal of the blockade and shutdown effective from 2 a.m. Sunday, following the agreement to deploy the 112 CRPF Battalion in Saibol under the Lhungtin subdivision.
CoTU expressed its preference for using Kangpokpi-based central forces, like the 112 CRPF Battalion, instead of valley-based forces, which the Kuki-Zo community believes are controlled by the state’s home department. This department is overseen by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, whom the community holds responsible for the ongoing ethnic conflict that has claimed over 260 lives and displaced more than 60,000 people in the past 20 months.
In contrast, Kangpokpi-based forces are seen as accountable to local district authorities in a state where the Meitei-majority valley and tribal-majority hills are physically and administratively segregated.
While appreciating the authorities for deploying the 112 Battalion to fringe areas, CoTU warned that it would escalate protests if valley-based central forces were not withdrawn from Saibol within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla directed the state’s Director General of Police, Rajiv Singh, to prioritize public safety and security. The governor also urged army and paramilitary officers to cooperate fully with the administration to maintain law and order. These directives followed a high-level security review meeting in Imphal, with a focus on border regions.
BY PC Bureau
