Telecoms in Manipur directed to preserve call records to track militant operations

The central government has instructed telecom operators in strife-torn Manipur to preserve call detail records (CDRs) of citizens for a five-year period amid the growing concerns over the involvement of armed militants in the region’s ongoing violence and their potential connections to extremists across the Myanmar border.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reportedly directed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to issue preservation orders to telecom operators. The move aims to track potential links between militants operating within Manipur and external sources suspected of supplying sophisticated weaponry.

Security agencies have raised concerns that weapons used in recent incidents might have originated from cross-border extremist groups.

The directive follows a meeting where telecom operators were instructed to ensure CDRs are maintained for the specified duration. This step coincides with the ongoing ethnic violence that has plagued Manipur since May last year, primarily involving the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The conflict has led to the physical segregation of the two groups, enforced through buffer zones monitored by security forces.

Recent unrest in the state intensified after six individuals from Jiribam were reported missing, escalating tensions in the Imphal Valley. This led to violent clashes, prompting authorities to impose an indefinite curfew across multiple districts in the valley. Internet and mobile data services have been suspended in nine districts, including Kuki-Zo-dominated areas, with restrictions extended until November 26. These measures also encompass bans on VSAT and VPN services to prevent the spread of unrest.

The opposition Congress has criticised the handling of the crisis, calling for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, citing their inability to contain the violence.