Manipur Minister Builds Bunker, Puts Barbed Wire Around Home Amid Unrest

Days after the attack on the residences of several lawmakers in Manipur, a state minister has increased security at his home. Manipur’s cabinet minister Leishangthem Susindro Meitei has fortified his home with barbed wire fencing, visuals showed. Mr Meitei, a BJP MLA from Khurai, has also built a bunker at his house.

Manipur has been hit by a fresh spate of violence over the last week even as inter-communal clashes that broke out on May 3 last year between the ethnic Meitei and Kuki communities have resulted in more than 200 deaths and displaced around 60,000 people.

Protesters, demonstrating against recent violent killings, ransacked and set fire to the homes of MLAs and ministers on Saturday. An agitating mob even tried to barge into the personal residence of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Security has been tightened in Imphal, particularly around the residence of Mr Singh and the Raj Bhavan, with limited vehicle movement seen in the affected areas.

Amid escalating violence, the administration suspended broadband and mobile internet services in seven districts – Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur – for two days to prevent anti-social elements from spreading content that might create law and order problems – on November 16 which was then extended for two more days on Monday.

The suspension on broadband services, however, was lifted today after “considering the sufferings of the common people as the internet ban had affected the functioning of important offices, institutions, and people who work from home”, the state government said.

To curb the rising violence, the Manipur police imposed a curfew in both Imphal West and Imphal East districts.

What Triggered Recent Spate Of Violence?

A Kuki woman was found burned to death in a village in Jiribam district last week. Days after her body was found, 10 armed suspected Kuki insurgents were killed in a gunfight with security forces after they tried to attack a police station in the same district. During the gunfight, a Meitei family of six – including an eight-month-old baby went missing.

The women and children were taken hostage by a group of suspected Kuki militants from Jiribam’s Bokobera neighbourhood while another group of militants were engaged in a gunfight with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), sources said.

Laisharam Herojit, a low-level worker in the state government, whose two children, wife, mother-in-law and wife’s sister were among the hostages.

The Meitei community has hit the streets alleging the government did not do enough to save the hostages.

On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a high-level review meeting – the second such meeting since Sunday – with senior officials in Delhi to assess the security situation in Manipur.

In the meeting, it was decided to dispatch an additional 50 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, totalling over 5,000 personnel, to Manipur due to the challenging situation in the state. A total of 20 CAPFs were deployed in Manipur a few days ago.