Manipur: Protests erupt in valley after arrest of village volunteers
The protests come in the backdrop of the arrest of the village volunteers, officials said.
IMPHAL- Protests erupted in Manipur’s Imphal Valley on Friday with demonstrators burning tyres in the middle of the road. The protests come in the backdrop of the arrest of the village volunteers, officials said.
Security personnel arrested more than 10 village volunteers in an early morning operation at Panjao Pallumda in the district and later took them to a security forces camp at Phundrei in Thoubal district, officials added.
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This action sparked widespread demonstrations across valley districts, including Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, and Kakching. Protesters, demanding the release of those arrested, blocked roads, burned tyres, and forced market closures, reflecting deep community unrest.
Manipur has been under President’s rule since February 13, 2025, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9, 2025. The state assembly is currently in suspended animation, with governance managed by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
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The recent arrests of village volunteers, followed Governor Bhalla’s call to surrender illegal weapons, indicating a broader security crackdown. Within a week of President’s rule, over 30 militants were arrested, and significant arms, including 15 IEDs and automatic weapons, were seized.
In the last 24 hours, seventeen militants belonging to different banned outfits were arrested from four Manipur districts, police said on Friday. Thirteen militants belonging to the banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) outfit were nabbed from Moirang Kiyam Leikai area of Bishnupur district on Thursday, a police statement said.
A total of 27 cartridges, three walkie-talkie sets, camouflage uniforms and other tactical accessories were also seized, it said. The arrested persons were taken to Imphal for further investigation.
The violence stems from a deep ethnic divide between the valley-based Meitei majority and the hill-dwelling Kuki-Zo tribes, exacerbated by a 2023 court order on Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis.
