The Manipur government has replaced the Assam Rifles personnel with police and CRPF jawans at the Moirang Lamkhai checkpoint in Bishnupur. The move came after several groups of women from the Meitei community, known as Meira Paibis, staged protests demanding the removal of the Assam Rifles from the checkpoint.
India Today reported that women’s groups blocked a road at Hodam Leirak and Kwakeithel in Imphal West district and Angom Leikai and Khurai areas in Imphal East on Monday. The Meira Paibis – which translates to ‘ women torchbearers’ – accused the paramilitary force of “brutality during recent agitations”.
The Meitei women took the decision to conduct protests during a convention held in the Malom Tulihal area in the Imphal West district on Sunday.
“The checkpoint at Moirang Lamkhai on the Bishnupur to Kangvai Road shall be manned by the civil police and 128 Bn CRPF in place of 9 AR with immediate effect and until further orders,” said the notification issued on Monday.
The check post, where the changes in deployment have been made, lies at the Churachandpur-Bishnupur boundary, an area that has seen frequent clashes since ethnic violence broke out on May 3.
Three people – reportedly from the Meitei community – were killed in the Kwakta area on Augst 5. In the fresh incidents of violence, several houses of the Kuki community were also burnt down. An FIR was filed by the Manipur Police against the Assam Rifles personnel for allegedly obstructing a police operation against Kuki militants in the Kwakta area, India Today reported.
According to Manipur Police, Assam Rifles personnel paved the way for the Kuki militants to escape, by obstructing the operation. However, news agency PTI reported that the security sources described the FIR as a “travesty of justice” and said the Assam Rifles was undertaking a task given by the command headquarters of ensuring the sanctity of the buffer zones between Kuki and Meitiei areas.
In the FIR, the police alleged that the Assam Rifles blocked police vehicles on the Kwakta Gothol road in Bishnupur. The police claimed that Assam Rifles stopped its personnel from proceeding when they were on their way to Pholjang Road along Kwakta as a follow-up action “to conduct search operations in an arms act case in search of Kuki militants”.
The police also claimed that its personnel were stopped by 9 Assam Rifles which parked their ‘Casper’ vehicle blocking the road. However, defence sources told PTI: “Assam Rifles was undertaking a task given by the command headquarters of ensuring the sanctity of the buffer zones between Kuki and Meitiei areas.”
The Manipur BJP has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace Assam Rifles “by any other paramilitary force permanently” from the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
