New Delhi: Protests were taken out in Delhi and Imphal over the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur by members of the warring Meitei and Kuki communities demanding the extension and withdrawal Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in the wake of the Jiribam massacre that led to the killing of 6 people last month.
In Imphal, Meitei protesters organised a rally starting from the Thau Ground area in Imphal West district, covering approximately 5 km before concluding at Khuman Lampak Stadium. Carrying placards and chanting slogans like “Do not obliterate Manipur” and “Save Manipur,” the protesters demanded the withdrawal of AFSPA.
The procession was a joint effort to observe Human Rights Day, organised by the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur, All Manipur Women Voluntary Association, Committee on Human Rights, and Manipur Students’ Federation.
Kuki MLAs protest in Delhi
Ten Kuki MLAs from Manipur are set to hold a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, in response to ongoing violence against ethnic groups in the state. The protest comes after the MLAs demanded extending AFPSA across the entire state to facilitate the recovery of over 6,000 sophisticated weapons looted since ethnic violence erupted on May 3 last year.
The Kuki legislators assert that imposing AFSPA statewide is necessary to restore order and recover these weapons.
The Centre recently reinstated the AFSPA in six police station areas of Manipur, including the violence-affected Jiribam. The AFSPA grants armed forces extensive powers in disturbed areas, allowing them to search, arrest, and open fire if deemed necessary for maintaining public order.
Notably, violence in the state intensified after the discovery of the bodies of three women and three children in the Jiri and Barak rivers in November. Since May last year, over 250 people have been killed, and thousands displaced, amid ethnic clashes between the Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and the hill-dwelling Kuki-Zo communities.
