The Manipur Police commandos, in a poignant gesture, conducted a symbolic protest on the recent Wednesday, choosing to relinquish their arms as a form of response to the distressing incident involving the abduction of Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Moirangthem Amit Singh, from Imphal West. The abduction, purportedly orchestrated by an armed faction identified as the Meitei vigilante group Arambai Tenggol, unfolded when approximately 200 assailants launched an aggressive assault on the senior officer's residence the preceding Tuesday. During this harrowing event, ASP Amit Singh and one of his companions were forcibly taken away.
Despite the swift deployment of supplementary security contingents, the perpetrators managed to carry out the abduction, plunging the area into a state of tense apprehension. Nevertheless, the security apparatus promptly mobilized and succeeded in rescuing ASP Amit Singh and his associate within a matter of hours.
According to reports released by the police, the hostile incursion involved nearly 200 armed individuals who besieged Moirangthem's domicile in Imphal West, resorting to indiscriminate gunfire and widespread property destruction. After the distressing episode, security reinforcements were summoned to the scene in response to the urgent situation.
This alarming incident unfolds against escalating tensions within the Imphal Valley. Manipur has been grappling with persistent ethnic strife since the events of May 3 last year, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' in the hill districts triggered a series of violent clashes resulting in over 180 fatalities.
The demographic landscape of Manipur delineates a complex interplay of ethnic identities, with the Meiteis constituting approximately 53 percent of the state's population, predominantly concentrated in the Imphal Valley. In contrast, the tribal communities, including Nagas and Kukis, account for roughly 40 percent of the populace, primarily inhabiting the hill districts.
