Manipur: Kangpokpi protests end after security forces release six detained villagers

Protests broke out in Manipur's Kangpokpi district late on Saturday night over the detention of six villagers by security forces, officials said on Sunday. The demonstrations continued from about 10 p.m. on Saturday to around midnight in Motbung and adjoining areas, they said.

According to officials, protesters burnt tyres on the roads and threw stones at government vehicles. Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. A few protesters sustained injuries during the demonstrations and were admitted to a local hospital. Officials did not immediately give details of their condition.

Those protesting said the six residents of Kholen village were detained by security forces without being told any reason. Kholen lies close to Chawangkining, a Naga-dominated village in the district, and had recently come under attack by armed miscreants, according to officials.

Protesters also used heavy construction equipment to dig up portions of National Highway-2, the Imphal to Dimapur road, at Motbung, to prevent the movement of security force vehicles, officials said. The highway is a key artery for the state, and its disruption affects the movement of people, goods and essential supplies.

A senior official said the detained villagers, described as village volunteers, were subsequently released by the security forces, after which the protests ended. "The situation is under control now," the official said. There were no immediate reports of fresh violence.

The incident needs to be seen against the wider conflict in the state. Manipur has been gripped by ethnic violence since May 2023, mainly between the Meitei community in the Imphal valley and the Kuki-Zo communities in the hill districts. Kangpokpi is a Kuki-Zo-majority district. Official figures put the death toll at more than 200, with tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes.

Since the conflict began, many hill villages have formed volunteer groups for self-defence. Security forces have detained members of such groups during operations in the past, and detentions have at times led to local protests. Community leaders on different sides have repeatedly urged restraint and appealed for the release of those held without clear grounds.

Under the Constitution, citizens have the right to assemble peacefully and to protest. That right does not extend to damaging public property, attacking government vehicles or blocking a national highway, which also affects people unconnected with the dispute. Officials said efforts were on to clear the dug-up stretches and restore normal traffic on the Imphal-Dimapur route.

The account of the incident is based on statements from district officials and from those who took part in the protests. Independent verification of some details, including the exact sequence of events and the number of injured, was not immediately possible.