Anurag Das

On the evening of June 24, 2023 Indian armed forces conducted counter-insurgency operations in Manipur’s Imphal East district and apprehended twelve heavily armed militants affiliated to a proscribed Meitei ethnonationalist armed organization named KYKL (Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup). However, the army operation was obstructed by a strong mob of around 1500 people belonging to the Meitei community and mostly comprised of women, led by a local political leader. Considering the sensitivity of the situation when ethnic tensions are simmering in Manipur, the Indian army decided to release all the apprehended militants. In another instance one month back on May 23, 2023, a fierce gunfight ensued between the Indian army and militants belonging to another banned armed outfit named PLA (People Liberation Army) in Kamjong district, Manipur. It is noted that the aforementioned groups are insurgent organizations with ethnonationalist aspirations and operating in the region for the past four decades. In recent times both these groups were involved in some high-profile attacks on the Indian military that claimed the lives of more than two dozen Indian military personnel. These are serious development in conflict strife regions like Manipur which is now suffering from a full-scale ethnic conflict between hill-based Kuki-Chin-Zomi tribes and valley based Meitei community. Several reports suggested the involvement of newly formed Meitei ultranationalist groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun in perpetrating large-scale violence against the Kuki-Chin-Zomi tribes population in the Meitei-dominated valley and adjacent areas. While, Meitei communities living along foothills and some hills areas alleged the involvement of heavily armed Kuki insurgent groups under suspension of operation (SoO) with the Government of India in the attack against their community.

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