Manipur: Akoijam attacks Centre over violence, shutdowns disrupt normal life

Congress MP Bimol Akoijam on Monday sharply criticised the Centre’s handling of the Manipur crisis, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah of remaining silent on recent killings even as the government pushed ahead in Parliament with legislation linked to delimitation.

Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Akoijam said the leadership had prioritised “a Bill in the name of women’s reservation” while failing to respond to continuing violence in the state.

He alleged that the proposed delimitation exercise was being used to consolidate political power at the cost of smaller and marginalised states such as Manipur and others in the northeast. “We have fought back, and the Opposition has stopped what could have been the beginning of the end of the Indian Republic,” he said.

Akoijam also questioned the legality of “buffer zones” created by the government of India in conflict-affected areas, claiming they had no Constitutional basis. He said he had been prevented by security forces from visiting parts of his own constituency despite there being no legal prohibitory order in place, calling the move unconstitutional.

Referring to the 7 April blast in Bishnupur district that killed two young children, he alleged serious administrative failure. According to Akoijam, the attack occurred within one such buffer zone, with a police station and a CRPF unit located only a few kilometres away. “Neither responded immediately. They arrived only after several hours, reflecting a careless response,” he said.

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee outlined a series of demands, including completion of investigations into the killing of the two children, firm action against those responsible for violence, restoration of law and order, and protection of citizens’ access to homes and essential services.

The party also demanded that findings of the inquiry into the 3 May 2023 violence be made public, that victims receive justice and compensation, and that an economic package be announced to address the impact of prolonged instability. It further called for dialogue among stakeholders to restore normalcy and sought deferment of the census until a legal framework distinguishing citizens from non-citizens is clarified.

The remarks come amid renewed disruption across several districts, where normal life has been affected by shutdowns called by different organisations to protest recent killings. Educational institutions and markets remained closed while public transport stayed off the roads in all five valley districts, home to the Meitei community, as well as Naga-inhabited areas of Ukhrul and Senapati.

Women’s groups, including the Meira Paibis, have called a five-day shutdown beginning 19 April to protest the 7 April bomb attack at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district, in which a five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister were killed while sleeping, and their mother was injured.

During protests against the incident, three people were killed and around 30 injured when security forces allegedly opened fire after a mob stormed a nearby CRPF camp.

Separately, the United Naga Council has called a three-day shutdown from Monday across Naga-inhabited areas to protest the killing of a retired Army man and another civilian in an ambush on an Ukhrul-bound convoy on 18 April at TM Kasom village.

The Ukhrul incident occurred a day after chief minister Y. Khemchand Singh visited the Tangkhul Naga-majority district and appealed for peace and dialogue during interactions with both Kuki and Naga residents.

Sit-in protests were held across parts of Imphal valley, including Uripok and Nagaram, reflecting continuing public anger over the violence.

Lawyers under the aegis of the Manipur Bar Association and the High Court Bar Association of Manipur also demonstrated outside the Cheirap court complex at Uripok, condemning the Tronglaobi killings and demanding combing operations to arrest those responsible.

Former Manipur Human Rights Commission chairperson Khaidem Mani said merely handing the case to the National Investigation Agency would not be sufficient, and called for stronger exercise of governmental authority. He also demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths of three people in the firing incident linked to the CRPF camp.

The state government has already decided to hand over investigation into both the Bishnupur blast and the Ukhrul ambush to the NIA.

The Manipur government has simultaneously directed strict administrative measures to ensure attendance in offices despite the shutdown. Chief secretary Puneet Kumar Goel instructed all administrative secretaries and heads of departments to take action against employees absent without authorised leave and to ensure offices continue functioning.

Deputy commissioners have been directed to maintain normal functioning of government offices in their districts.

Home minister Govindas Konthoujam appealed to organisations enforcing the shutdown to reconsider, pointing to the hardship caused to students, daily wage earners, farmers and businesses. “Hardships of the shutdown are felt by all — children whose education is disrupted, daily wage earners, farmers and business persons,” he said after discussions with a Joint Action Committee formed in connection with the Tronglaobi incident.

The continuing unrest underscores the fragile situation in Manipur, where ethnic violence between the valley-based Meiteis and hill-based Kukis has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced thousands since May 2023.

Following prolonged clashes and the resignation of chief minister N. Biren Singh, the state was placed under President’s Rule on 13 February 2025. The Central rule was lifted nearly a year later on 4 February.

With PTI inputs