Manipur CM Biren Singh now faces students' wrath amid escalating violence
Students have now come out to protest against the ineffective handling of the sharp escalation of violence in Manipur; students took a rally to Raj Bhavan today
Amid the recent sharp escalation in violence in strife–torn Manipur, which has been witnessing a bloody conflict between two communities, the majority Meitis and the Kukis, for the past one year, students have now entered the fray taking to the streets demanding justice and peace.
Demand of the students
As the anger at the ruling BJP state government continues to grow in Manipur, students from schools, colleges and universities in Imphal took a rally to the Raj Bhavan on Monday, demanding the resignation of the director general of police, the security advisor, and also the governor.
The frustration and anger of the students were palpable as they protested against the government's repeated failures and the continuous violence, which refuses to die down. They also wanted the paramilitary forces to be withdrawn and 50 MLAs to resign on moral grounds.
Violence spikes
In the past week alone, violence has spiralled out of control, as civilians have been attacked and Army personnel targeted. Eleven people lost their lives in just nine days. With tensions running high and the state’s response being viewed as ineffective, school students have also hit the streets.
The general secretary of Dhanamanjuri University student’s union told ANI that this rally is to tell the authorities that currently there is “no difference between living in a cage and living in the Imphal valley”. There are no safety zones here, he added.
What makes this recent surge in violence particularly alarming is the use of drone attacks and rocket bombs. On September 1, in Koutruk village, Imphal West district, drones were used as weapons, leading to the death of two individuals and nine others were injured. The following day, drones struck again in Senjam Chirang, injuring three more people. To curb these threats, the state has had to deploy anti-drone systems.
Regulate misconduct
Amid the sharp escalation in violence, students take part in a protest march against the recent violence in Manipur, in Imphal, on September 9, 2024. PTI
The students wanted the central government and the governor to give the unified command to the Manipur chief minister to enable him to regulate the actions of Assam Rifles, the central forces and all their misconducts. "We want them to regulate the Assam Rifles since they have been accused of misconduct since the start of the violence," said the ANI report quoting a student.
Meanwhile, the Manipur CM and coalition MLAs met the governor, pushing for unified command control to curb the violence. But so far, the Centre has remained unresponsive.
However, people continued to hold candlelight marches and form human chains, with one hope in their hearts: peace.