Protest under the banner of Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), following a bomb attack in Bishnupur that killed two children dead. Photo: PTI
Manipur protests swell: Thousands defy curfew
Thousands defied curfew across five valley districts after suspected militants killed a five-year-old boy and his infant sister in Tronglaobi village
Thousands of protesters defied curfew across five valley districts of Manipur on April 9, staging rallies and burning tyres in response to a bomb attack that killed two young children in Bishnupur district.
What happened in Tronglaobi
On April 7, suspected militants hurled a bomb at a residential house in Tronglaobi village in Bishnupur district, killing a five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister. The attack triggered immediate outrage across the valley, with protests spreading rapidly through Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and Kakching districts.
CRPF camp stormed, three killed
Shortly after the attack, a mob of around 500 protesters stormed a CRPF camp near Gelmol, a few hundred metres from Tronglaobi, vandalising the facility and burning security vehicles. Security personnel opened fire in the ensuing confrontation, killing three protesters and injuring 30 others.
Hijam Ningol Oinam Ongbi Loidang, grandmother of the two children who died in the bomb attack in Bishnupur. Photo: PTI
In Imphal West, hundreds of protesters gathered at Tiddim Line under the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation, marching from its office near Kwakeithel before being stopped by security forces. Several children attended the rally, carrying posters of the two slain minors. Representatives of AMUCO were later escorted to meet Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh to present their demands.
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At Samurou in Imphal West, hundreds of protesters attempted to march towards the chief minister's official bungalow but were intercepted by police. On the night of April 8, clashes between protesters and security forces broke out at Khurai Lamlong in Imphal East, where stone pelting prompted security forces to respond with tear gas.
Multiple tyre burning reported
Protests spread beyond Imphal, with tyre burning and disruption to vehicular movement reported at Moirang Lamkhai and Ningthoukhong in Bishnupur district, Khurai in Imphal East, and parts of Thoubal and Kakching districts.
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In a dramatic demonstration in Imphal, a 32-year-old lawyer, Sinam Apollo, arrived outside the Lok Bhavan on a two-wheeler, poured kerosene over himself, and attempted to set himself on fire in protest against the killings. Police intervened before he could do so and took him to a police station for questioning.
Three suspects arrested
Police arrested three suspected cadres of the United Kuki National Army during operations following the Tronglaobi incident. However, authorities have yet to confirm whether those arrested were directly involved in the bomb attack.