‘Is Manipur still a part of India?’: Former Manipur CM Ibobi Singh raises concerns over ongoing violence

Former Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Wednesday, April 15, raised concerns over the prolonged unrest in the state, questioning whether Manipur continues to receive adequate attention from the Union government amid the ongoing conflict.

Speaking to the media after submitting a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur, Singh strongly condemned the continuing violence and called for urgent steps to restore peace and normalcy. He said the crisis in the state has persisted for nearly three years, with incidents of violence continuing despite repeated assurances of improvement in the situation.

Singh, who is also the president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, referred to a recent bomb attack in the Tronglaobi area of Bishnupur district, describing it as a reminder of the fragile security situation. He also pointed to emerging tensions in Ukhrul district, stating that clashes between Kuki and Naga groups have added a new dimension to the already complex conflict.

He noted that while tensions between Meitei and Kuki communities remain unresolved, the outbreak of fresh inter-community conflicts indicates a further deterioration in law and order. Singh questioned whether a similar situation in other parts of the country would have received a different response from the Centre.

The former Chief Minister also criticised the handling of protests following the Tronglaobi incident, particularly the deaths of three protesters during an agitation near a CRPF camp in Gelmol. He said the bomb attack reportedly took place around 1 a.m. on April 7, while the protest near the security camp occurred nearly 10 hours later.

Singh alleged that timely intervention by state police could have prevented the escalation. He questioned why adequate crowd-control measures such as water cannons, tear gas, or baton charges were not deployed to manage the situation.

He further raised concerns over reports of firing by the Central Reserve Police Force during the protest. While condemning the incident, he said that if force was necessary to disperse the crowd, standard procedures should have been followed, including aiming at non-lethal zones.

Singh was accompanied by Member of Parliament Bimol Akoijam and several Congress MLAs during the meeting with the Governor.

The Manipur government has not yet issued an official response to the remarks.