Manipur recovers 1422 arms, 7010 ammunition rounds since February amid intensified peace efforts

Security forces and law-enforcement agencies in Manipur have recovered 1,422 arms, 7,010 rounds of ammunition and 1,137 explosives between February 5 and August 11, the state government said on Wednesday, as security operations continue alongside efforts to revive dialogue and restore peace in the violence-affected state.

The recovered weapons and explosives were displayed at the parade ground of 1st Manipur Rifles in Imphal on Wednesday.

According to a state government statement, the recoveries were made during search operations and other security-related activities conducted across Manipur. The government said the seizures reflected sustained and coordinated efforts by security forces and law-enforcement agencies to curb the circulation of illegal weapons, prevent violence and improve the security situation.

The intensified security operations have coincided with the state government's political outreach under Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand, who took oath on February 4 following nearly a year of President's Rule in Manipur.

Since assuming office, Khemchand has visited several conflict-affected areas as part of efforts to rebuild confidence among communities and facilitate a return to normalcy, the government said.

One of the key outreach initiatives was the Chief Minister's visit to Churachandpur, his first since the ethnic violence broke out in May 2023. He attended the funeral of former MLA Vungzagin Valte during the visit, which the government described as an effort to rebuild ties and address divisions that have emerged during the prolonged conflict.

Khemchand also visited Jiribam twice, on February 11 and April 4. During the visits, representatives of communities affected by the conflict participated in discussions on restoring peace, according to the government.

The administration has also sought to encourage armed groups to abandon violence and return to the mainstream. The government said 46 cadres of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party-People's War Group (KCP-PWG) surrendered in July and laid down their arms.

The government separately said that more than 1,200 firearms, including around 600 weapons looted from government armouries, had been recovered during the preceding five months. The latest official display has put the total number of arms recovered from February 5 to August 11 at 1,422.

The recovery of looted weapons remains a major security priority in Manipur. State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam had told the state Assembly in March that more than 6,020 weapons were looted from government armouries, police stations and police outposts during the conflict. Manipur Director General of Police Mukesh Singh said on June 15 that around 70 per cent of the looted weapons had been recovered.

Alongside weapons recovery, the administration has stepped up action against narcotics. According to the government, security agencies registered 72 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and arrested 117 people during the period under review. Large quantities of drugs and psychotropic substances were also seized.

Dialogue with community organisations has been another component of the government's peace initiative. Khemchand has held meetings with community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, including a meeting with the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) in Guwahati in March.

The government has described the combination of security operations, recovery of illegal weapons, surrender and rehabilitation of armed cadres, anti-narcotics action and community-level engagement as a coordinated strategy to improve security and create conditions for reconciliation.

The latest weapons display comes more than three years after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023. The conflict has resulted in deaths, large-scale displacement and prolonged separation between communities, with the restoration of lasting peace and normalcy continuing to remain a major challenge for the state.