New Delhi (Agency): In the conflict-ridden state of Manipur, India, approximately 600,000 bullets and nearly 3,000 firearms remain in the hands of feuding groups, as per local officials and experts. They warn this could result in a resurgence of outlawed terror factions in the region.
The officials, who have been closely observing the volatile situation, drew from various sources to outline that .303 rifles, Medium Machine Guns (MMG), AK assault rifles, carbines, Insas Light Machine Guns (LMG), Insas rifles, M-16, and MP5 rifles had vanished from the police’s armories back in May.
Further, they reported that around 600,000 bullets were found to be missing in the aftermath of a series of attacks on law enforcement and other security personnel starting from May 3. These assaults, which began with the onset of ethnic strife between two dominant communities in the state, have led to the death of more than 160 individuals so far.
According to these sources, around 4,537 firearms and 632,000 rounds of ammunition have primarily disappeared from the Manipur Police Training Centre (MPTC) at Pangei in East Imphal, and from the 7th India Reserve battalion and 8th Manipur Rifles, both situated in Imphal city’s Khabeisoi.
The officials stated that of the stolen weapons, 2,900 fell under the lethal category, while the rest included tear gas and mini flare guns. The majority of these pilfered arms and ammunition are currently held by the rioters in the valley, whereas the hill-dwelling groups only possess about 5.31 percent of such weapons.
An alarming resurgence of previously quiescent banned groups such as the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Kanglei Yawol, Kanba Lup (KYKL), and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) is already evident amidst the present unrest.
A significant incident illustrating the support extended to these banned organizations happened on June 24. Army and Assam Rifles, based on specific intelligence, apprehended 12 members of the banned KYKL group in East Imphal. One of those detained was ‘Lt Col’ Moirangthem Tamba alias Uttam, a key figure in the 2015 ambush of the 6 Dogra regiment, which resulted in the death of 18 army soldiers.
Further, officials claimed that they received reports of another six to seven leading cadres of other banned groups reaching the Imphal valley, offering support to the ethnic groups residing there.
“You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbour,” said a senior security official, quoting Hillary Clinton’s 2011 address to Pakistan, and suggesting that it applies to the current situation in Manipur. The official warned that those hailed as ‘heroes’ today could become threats to the very community they claimed to protect once a truce is reached.
These banned groups, such as the UNLF, which boasts a cadre strength of nearly 250, have historically been implicated in extortion practices targeting contractors and businessmen.
Similarly, the PLA, originally formed under the ancient Manipur name ‘Polei’, aimed to liberate Manipur and establish an independent Meitei land in the Imphal Valley.
The KYKL, another group thriving on extortion and openly supporting other terror groups, is seen as a mercenary outfit with no ideologies, its ranks filled mainly by criminals and drug addicts.
The government-banned PREPAK, known for its secessionist ideology of ‘liberating’ Manipur, indulges primarily in drug trafficking and smuggling. This group also collects extortion on behalf of PLA and UNLF, retaining a portion for themselves.