In the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, a severe crisis has unfolded, raising grave concerns.
Imphal, the capital town, witnessed a brazen attack as over 700 rebels stormed a police camp, making off with state-of-the-art weaponry, ammunition, and several vehicles.
Tragically, the assault in Imphal resulted in the loss of lives among police personnel. This conflict, which began in 3 May, has seen the looting of over 5,000 government weapons and countless rounds of ammunition.
Despite deploying a massive security contingent of over a lakh, it appears that the Modi government has struggled to regain control of the situation in Manipur.
The toll on law enforcement is devastating, with over 100 police officers having lost their lives in the region.
The ongoing hostilities have inflicted a heavy human toll, with more than a thousand lives lost, and displacement of over a lakh of residents.
The destruction extends to thousands of homes and hundreds of dwellings left in ruins.
Manipur’s Chief Minister, Biren Singh, has declared the situation extremely critical. Some voices have accused Prime Minister Modi of having political motivations behind the unrest in Manipur.
The violence and turmoil in Manipur have drawn concern from the National Human Rights Commission, which has criticized the Modi government for not taking sufficient measures to quell these incidents.
On July 28th, the U.S. Department of State added to the alarm by designating two incidents in Manipur, involving sexual assault, a nude march, and self-immolation, as extremely disturbing.
