Indian Army said women activists have been deliberately blocking routes and interfering in security forces’ operations in this Northeastern state.
The Army has requested people to support its efforts towards restoring peace and normalcy in violence-hit Manipur.
Mob of approximately 1200-1500 led by women and the local leaders immediately surrounded the target area and prevented Security Forces from going ahead with the operation. Repeated appeals to the aggresive mob to let the Security Forces carry on the operation as per law did not yield any positive result.
Keeping in view the sensitivity of use of kinetic force against large irate mob led by women and likely casualties due to such action, considered decision was taken to hand over all the 12 cadres to local leader. The Army columns lifted the cordon and left the area with weapons and War Like Stores recovered from the insurgents.
https://twitter.com/Spearcorps/status/1673378371013857280?t=NjKDLEiX-GWf-1AYwy4J4Q&s=19
Mature decision on the part of Operational Commander shows humane face of the Indian Army to avoid any collateral damage during the ongoing unrest in Manipur.
The army said that “the officer on the ground made a considerate decision to hand over all 12 cadres to the local leader, after a mob of approximately 1200-1500, led by women and the local leaders immediately surrounded the target area and prevented Security Forces from continuing with the operation, which was launched in Village Itham (06 km East of Andro) in Imphal East district.”
A recent such instance happened last week when security forces had to “release” 12 cadres of the proscribed extremist outfit of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) along with arms, ammunition and War like stores, including self-styled Lt Col Moirangthem Tamba, who is the mastermind of the 6 Dogra ambush case of 2015, which had killed 18 army personnel.
How long will the Armed Forces be victimized? How much more will they get played in the hands of these Manipuri women? People of Manipur, by and large, want the business of militancy to continue but why will the Armed Forces always sacrifice? It’s just so easy. All one needs to be blamed as an Army man in a camouflage uniform, that’s easily available in the local market everywhere. Just wear one to do any misdeed and pass on the blame to the Army and Assam Rifles personnel are on duty, protecting the country and those ungrateful citizens too.
Today Northeastern region, especially Manipur, is key to India’s Look East or Act East policy by land — to bring in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar into India’s embrace. But with the failure to find solutions to issues such as the Naga imbroglio and now, this ethnic conflagration in Manipur, our internal troubles in the region will hurt our foreign policy outreach to Southeast and East Asia. Such an ambitious outreach cannot work out if the region is so disturbed.
(Author is a Senior journalist working for a western media with 20 years of experience in covering the east and northeast, with specialisation in Defence and Sports.)
