Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has accused certain agencies of providing "manipulative and politicised" information to the central government regarding the ongoing violence in the state.
Speaking at an event in Imphal, the Chief Minister assured that the Centre has become aware of these issues and is now gathering accurate information directly from the grassroots. “Misinformation was being sent to New Delhi, but the Centre has recognised the problem and is now addressing it by collecting verified data,” Singh stated. However, he did not specify which agencies were responsible for spreading the alleged misinformation.
In a separate development, seven members of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (People’s War Group), or KCP(PWG), have been arrested in connection with the murder of two migrant labourers from Bihar. The laborers, 18-year-old Sunalal Kumar and 17-year-old Dasharat Kumar, were shot dead while cycling back to their rented accommodation in Kakching, around 45 kilometers from Imphal.
According to intelligence sources, the KCP(PWG) may have been used as "hired guns" to target civilians and fuel tension in the valley areas. The investigation is ongoing, and officials have not disclosed who might have hired the insurgents.
Both Chief Minister Singh and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condemned the killings, announcing financial compensation of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively, for the victims' families.
In response to escalating violence in certain regions of Manipur, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) was reimposed on November 14 in six police station areas. This includes Jiribam, where 10 suspected Kuki militants were killed in a recent encounter, and where three women and three children from the Meitei community were allegedly kidnapped and killed by Kuki militants.
AFSPA grants the military extensive powers to operate in areas deemed "disturbed" and provides legal immunity to security forces unless prosecution is approved by the Centre.
Prior to this, 19 police station areas in Manipur were exempt from AFSPA, as they were considered peaceful. However, the intensification of violence has led to the law’s return to the six affected areas, giving security forces greater latitude to engage with armed groups that have not signed ceasefire agreements.
The Manipur government had earlier requested the Centre to remove AFSPA from these areas but acknowledged its necessity amid the recent rise in hostilities.