On June 7, 2023, the Indian Army and the Assam Rifles launched a joint combing operation to recover the arms and weapons taken and seized by violent mobs from police stations and government armouries during the Manipur violence.
As per the state’s police estimates, the mobs stole around 300 weapons and 500,000 rounds of ammunition.
According to the Spear Corps Division of the Indian Army, “Locals in possession of such weapons are urged to surrender these weapons to the security forces for the sake of peace and harmony.”
As per the Indian Army, the combing operation was launched in the Imphal Valley, which has a sizeable population of the Meities, and in the hill districts, which have a majority of Kuki people.
In a press statement, Kuldiep Singh, the security advisor to the state, said, “In Manipur and during the last 24 hours, 57 arms, 318 ammunitions and five bombs have been recovered from Porompat Police Station in East Imphal and Sugnu police station in Kakching districts.”
The Spear Corps Division of the Indian Army tweeted- “29 weapons were recovered by security forces during the joint combing operations in Manipur on June 7, 2023.”
The State Police Officers who had knowledge about the matters asserted that barring a few, the 868 weapons stolen by the mobs belonged to various police armouries.
Kuldiep Singh, who was a former director general of the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and is currently overseeing operations in Manipur, stated in the press statement that the curfew has been relaxed for 12 hours in 5 valley districts and 8 hours in the neighbouring hill districts. There is no curfew in the six other hill districts.
The movement of essential items along NH-37 (National Highway-37) has been ensured, and the paramilitary forces will remain deployed to protect the highway to ensure the movement of essential services.
“A total of 244 empty vehicles left Imphal for Jiriban on June 7, 2023, besides 212 loaded tankers and trucks left Jiribiam,” he said.
On June 4, 2023, Union Minister Amit Shah urged people to lift the blockade at the Imphal-Dimapur section of NH-2 and allow the movement of vehicles so that essential items could be delivered to the northeastern state.
On June 6, 2023, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate-2023 or (NEET-UG) for admissions to medical colleges was held in Manipur at 22 centres. Twelve of which are located in Imphal West and ten in Imphal East.
“The examination was completed in a peaceful manner, and the attendance was normal,” Singh said. Additionally, the state ministers and legislators visited different parts of the state and appealed for peace.
“Security personnel are organising the meetings with Village heads and CSO and appealing for peace and normalcy besides their duty of area domination and patrolling,” he said.
On June 6, 2023, the documents of the government order showed the army and requested the nomination of 19 executive magistrates to be present for combing operations which began on June 7, 2023. The magistrates were required in Imphal West, Imphal East, Kakching, Bishnupur, and Jiribam.
A Maximum of ten magistrates were required in Imphal West and Imphal East districts, followed by four in Kangpokpi, documents showed. In each district, the army has nominated a colonel or a brigadier rank officer to coordinate with the magistrate.
Against the backdrop of reports, the magistrates were assigned majorly to the valley districts, where the Kuki and other tribal residents were present.
Another order on June 7, 2023, by the Manipur Commissioner assigned magistrates to be present with the army personnel in additional districts such as Kamjong, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Churachandpur and Pherzawl.
Vineet Joshi, the state’s Chief Secretary, said that in police stations areas where the AFSPA is not lifted, magistrates are not necessarily during such operations. “The army requested the magistrates only for these districts as executive magistrates are not required for the conduct where AFSPA is in force.
However, it has been widely circulated in social media that the combing operations will occur and be conducted only in valley districts, which needs to be corrected.
Further, to dispel the misunderstanding among the public, the deputy commissioners of Churachandpur, Pherzawl, Tengnoupal, Chandel and Kanjong have been advised to detail executive magistrates for the operation conducted by the security formations even though AFSPA is in force in these districts.” Joshi said in a press statement.
In a related development, a group of women from the Kuki Womens Forum In New Delhi and NCR protested outside the residence of Union Minister Amit Shah. However, the police shifted them to the Jantar Mantar within an hour. They also submitted a memorandum alleging that the state police were biased.
Timothy C, the representative of the Kuki Students Group, confirmed that the women’s group submitted the memorandum.
At least 102 people have been killed, 300 injured, and nearly 40,000 people have been displaced since May 3, 2023, when ethnic violence erupted in the state between the Meities, the dominant ethnic group in Manipur, and tribal communities, especially Kukis, who primarily live in the hill districts.
Violent clashes broke after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was organised in the hill districts on May 3, 2023, to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
