Imphal: India’s most feared jungle warfare unit has arrived in the conflict-hit state of Manipur. And the message from the top is unambiguous — the era of unchecked insurgency in the conflict-torn state is coming to an end.
CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh wrapped up a high-stakes three-day visit to Manipur on Saturday — visiting forward posts, meeting the Governor and Chief Minister and personally motivating the newly arrived CoBRA battalion commandos who are now preparing to take on armed groups fuelling ethnic violence in the state.
“If we don’t fire on the miscreants, why does the government have given us so much guns and ammunition. Till I am the DG of CRPF, you don’t need to worry about bonafide actions. Only you need to do your job fine and the rest I will take care. No one will question you and don’t have any doubt in your mind”, said DG G P Sing while addressing the CoBRA battalion.
Who are the CoBRA Commandos?
The CoBRA battalion are not ordinary paramilitary forces. The CoBRA — Commando Battalion for Resolute Action — is the CRPF’s elite jungle warfare unit. Battle-hardened and highly specialised, these commandos have a formidable track record. They have taken the fight deep into forested terrain across multiple Indian states and systematically dismantled Maoist networks that once seemed untouchable. Now they are in Manipur and they mean business.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on May 31 approved the deployment of two full CoBRA battalions to Manipur — marking the first-ever deployment of these specialised units to the state. Each battalion carries an approximate strength of 1,000 highly trained commandos. The deployment was fast-tracked with a clear directive — have the units operational on the ground before the monsoon sets in. At least three companies of CoBRA commandos have already arrived in Imphal. They are currently undergoing a 45-day pre-induction training before being deployed for active operations.
On Saturday, DG CRPF Singh visited the CoBRA personnel undergoing pre-induction training and addressed them directly. He commended their track record in operational theatres across the country. He asked them to be relentless in their operations. But he also asked them to be sensitive — to care for the sentiments of the local population wherever they operate.
Manipur has been facing high intensity ethnic clashes for over three years. The Meitei-Kuki ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 has claimed hundreds of lives, displaced tens of thousands and left the state deeply fractured. Of late the Kuki militants are targeting the Naga population in the hill districts of Manipur. 6 Naga civilians are still in the custody of Kuki militants. A fresh spell of Naga-Kuki violence escalated from what began as a drunken brawl in Litan, Ukhrul district from February 7 — adding another layer of complexity to an already fragile situation.
