In a significant breakthrough, 196 looted and illegally held arms, including sophisticated weapons, have been returned to the Manipur police, meeting the strict deadline of March 6 set by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. This development comes as the state witnesses ongoing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
The surrendered weapons, stored in eight districts of Manipur, include Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Jiribam, and Pherzawl. According to top police officials, the Central and state security forces, comprising the Army and Assam Rifles, will launch a massive operation to recover the remaining looted arms in the valley and hilly districts.
The operation will be carried out in collaboration with the Central Armed Police Forces and intelligence units to restore peace and normalcy in the state. In a high-level meeting on March 1, Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed that the free movement of people and vehicles on all roads in Manipur be ensured from March 8, with strict action to be taken against anyone attempting to create obstructions.
Shah also instructed that the fencing work on both sides of the designated entry points along Manipur’s border with Myanmar should be completed at the earliest. Additionally, he emphasized the need to dismantle the drug trade to make Manipur drug-free. The Union Home Minister also reviewed the overall security situation in Manipur, expressing the Centre’s commitment to restoring lasting peace in the state, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The recent ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities has led to the looting of over 6,000 sophisticated arms and lakhs of pieces of ammunition from police stations and outposts. The security forces have managed to recover a substantial number of these looted arms during continuous operations, with the latest 196 arms returned by Governor Bhalla’s appeal.
Governor Bhalla initially made an appeal in February, which yielded a positive response, with over 967 looted and illegally held weapons returned to security forces since then. He extended the deadline for surrendering arms, with an additional 24 hours, to ensure that all individuals with illegal or looted arms surrender them without punitive action. However, those found in possession of such arms after the deadline will face legal action as per the law.
