Manipur: Protesters accuse security forces of failing to ensure safety and urge state and Centre to act swiftly to prevent further violence.
Residents of Saiton, Nganukon and adjoining villages in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Tuesday continued their sit-in protest for the second straight day at Saiton Ground, condemning a series of IED blasts that struck the area earlier this week.
Expressing fear, frustration and anger, the demonstrators questioned how long they would be forced to live amid insecurity. Many said recurring incidents of violence have shattered their sense of safety in a region already reeling under prolonged ethnic tensions. Protesters also voiced dissatisfaction with the Central Armed Forces deployed in the area, alleging that their presence has failed to prevent such attacks.
Demanding stronger local security, the villagers called for the immediate deployment of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) of the Manipur Police, asserting that state forces would be more effective in safeguarding the affected villages. They appealed to both the state and central governments to intervene decisively and restore peace.
The protesters warned that the agitation would continue until adequate security measures are put in place. Some cautioned that continued inaction could further destabilise the situation and push the region towards a wider civil conflict.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the series of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts that occurred on Monday, leaving three people, including a woman, injured. The incident marked the first reported act of violence in Manipur in 2026, heightening concerns over the state’s fragile security environment.
According to officials, the blasts occurred in the early hours of Monday in the Saiton–Nganukon area under Phougakchao Police Station. Two explosions were reported around 5.40 am and 5.54 am, followed by another at about 8.45 am, triggering panic in the sensitive locality.
Local residents and official sources said the IEDs targeted abandoned houses in an area guarded by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Unidentified armed miscreants, suspected to have come from Kangvai in neighbouring Churachandpur district, allegedly planted the explosive devices. Attempts to set fire to abandoned structures were also reported.
Later in the day, security forces recovered several unexploded IEDs, which were safely defused by bomb disposal teams of the Indian Army and Manipur Police. Following the incident, search operations and area domination exercises were intensified across Bishnupur district.
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