Manipur Home Minister urges withdrawal of five-day shutdown, seeks public cooperation

Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam on Sunday, April 19, appealed to civil society groups and protest organisers to withdraw the five-day statewide shutdown, warning that the agitation would adversely affect daily life across the state.

 

The shutdown, called by various sections of society including a Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed in connection with the Tronglaobi incident, along with civil society organisations and Meira Paibi groups, began on Sunday amid escalating demands for justice in the recent bomb attack.

 

Addressing the media at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Konthoujam said the state government has held three rounds of discussions with the JAC and the victim’s family. He stated that consensus had been reached on most of the charter of demands, with only a few issues remaining unresolved.

 

According to the minister, during a meeting held on April 17, the government assured a series of measures, including a military crackdown within two months, replacement of central forces deployed in the Tronglaobi area of Bishnupur district with state forces within two months, and similar redeployment in P. Gelmol within one week. He added that central forces would also be deployed near the Jal Jeevan Mission water supply site at Chingdamba Farmland under Moirang subdivision.

 

The government also urged protestors to withdraw ongoing agitations such as road blockades and to accept the bodies of the deceased, which are currently kept in the morgue, to perform last rites.

 

Konthoujam further informed that the government has offered a government job to Oinam Mangalngamba, father of the two children killed in the Tronglaobi attack, commensurate with his current position in the Border Security Force. A job offer has also been extended to his wife.

 

He said efforts are underway to apprehend all those involved in the attack, adding that five suspected individuals linked to the group United Kuki National Army have been arrested so far, and the investigation is ongoing.

 

Appealing for restraint, the minister said the shutdown would impact all sections of society and urged the JAC and allied groups to reconsider their decision.

 

The five-day shutdown has been enforced across Manipur starting April 19, with women’s groups and civil society organisations intensifying their demand for swift action. Protestors have demanded that all perpetrators be arrested by April 25 and have warned of intensified agitation if their demands are not met within the stipulated timeframe.

 

Key demands include the arrest of all those involved in the attack, a crackdown on suspected Kuki militants, replacement of central forces with state forces in peripheral areas, and a judicial inquiry into the role of specific security units. The JAC has alleged negligence by personnel of the 8 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force stationed at P. Gelmol and the 2nd Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry deployed at Tronglaobi.