Imphal/Guwahati
“Being humane is not weakness,” the Army’s Spears Corps asserted in a video wherein it posted a compilation of incidents where women in the strife-torn northeastern State are shown allegedly blocking its operations and even helping armed rioters to flee by accompanying them in vehicles.
In a tweet posted late on Monday appealing ‘Help us to help Manipur’, the Army said, “Women activists in Manipur are deliberately blocking routes and interfering in Operations of Security Forces. Such unwarranted interference is detrimental to the timely response by Security Forces during critical situations to save lives and property. Indian Army appeals to all sections of population to support our endeavours in restoring peace.”
Women activists in #Manipur are deliberately blocking routes and interfering in Operations of Security Forces. Such unwarranted interference is detrimental to the timely response by Security Forces during critical situations to save lives and property.
— SpearCorps.IndianArmy (@Spearcorps) June 26, 2023
🔴 Indian Army appeals to… pic.twitter.com/Md9nw6h7Fx
The statement came a couple of days after a stand-off in Imphal East’s Itham village between the Army and a mob of around 1500 women forced the security personnel to let go of 12 Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) militants holed up there. In the video, the Army seeks to “demystify” the myth of peaceful blockade by Manipur’s women.
The KYKL, a Meitei militant group involved in a number of attacks including the ambush of a 6 Dogra unit in 2015, were holed up in the village, the forces said.
The stand-off in Itham went on throughout Saturday, and ended after a “mature decision” by the operational commander keeping in view the sensitivity of use of force against a large irate mob led by women and likely casualties due to such action, officials said adding the security personnel left with seized arms and ammunition.
Over 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far after clashes first broke out on May 3 following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
