A police officer in Manipur, India, was killed by suspected insurgents while overseeing the construction of a helipad in the border town of Moreh. The attack, which occurred this morning, highlights the increasing hostilities between security forces and insurgents in Manipur. The officer, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Chingtham Anand, was taken to a local clinic but died during treatment. It is believed that Anand was shot with a sniper rifle from a concealed position at a distance. The police could not immediately retaliate as the direction of the shot was towards civilian buildings. Following the incident, security forces launched an operation in the area to eliminate the threat.
The helipad, a joint project between the state forces and the Border Security Force (BSF), is being constructed to transport state forces due to the blockage of the road from the state capital Imphal to Moreh by miscreants. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh expressed his condolences for the officer’s killing and promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. The Manipur government has approved a compensation of Rs 50 lakh and a government job for a family member of the deceased officer.
Anand was well-regarded by his colleagues as a cheerful and pleasant police officer who maintained a good rapport with locals in the border town. Moreh faces constant pressures from illegal immigrants, refugees fleeing Myanmar’s junta, insurgents, looters, and drug traffickers. The Manipur Police commandos have recently arrested several Myanmar nationals for looting homes in Moreh.
The cabinet meeting of the Manipur government resulted in the filing of a first information report (FIR) against an organization called World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council. The organization had issued a statement calling on volunteers in the Kuki-Zo community to take up arms. The cabinet also recommended designating the World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council as an “unlawful organization/association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The ethnic violence in Manipur, which has claimed more than 180 lives and displaced thousands, is attributed to the Meiteis’ demand for inclusion under the Scheduled Tribes category and the entry of illegal immigrants. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating a potential transnational conspiracy involving terror groups in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Manipur exploiting the ethnic violence in the state.
