More security for Manipur farmers in vulnerable areas

The Hindu

2 days ago

The Manipur government has heightened security for farmers in vulnerable areas, specifically along the 'buffer zone' separating the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley and the surrounding hills where the Kuki-Zo tribal people are in the majority.
The decision follows a bullet injury sustained by a farmer in -district's Phubala on June 19 and a subsequent meeting between a delegation of three Meitei-led civil society organisations and officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, where the issue of the cultivators on the periphery of the Imphal Valley was raised.
A high-level meeting to review the security arrangements related to farming, enhance coordination, and prevent Phubala-like incidents was held in the State's capital, Imphal, on June 28. The meeting was chaired by Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh and attended by Chief Secretary P.K. Singh and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh.
The State government said police personnel are deployed in the vulnerable farming areas on the hills and the valley, assisting Central security forces in providing security to the farming areas. Central security forces have been redeployed in the vicinity of Phubala to strengthen the security arrangements.
'Alert messages have been issued to all district Superintendents of Police from the Police Headquarters to immediately implement enhanced security protocols for ongoing farming and cultivation activities,' an official statement said on Thursday (July 3, 2025).
Senior police officers are visiting farming areas to oversee the security arrangements. This includes the identification of vulnerable agricultural areas that may require increased security presence and surveillance.
'Joint combing operations are being conducted on a regular basis in the fringe areas, including areas deep inside the hills, to flush out any miscreants. Flying squads and quick response teams have been set up by the administration for immediate assistance in case of any need,' the statement said.
The government requested people, particularly farmers, to remain vigilant and promptly inform the local police or security forces before proceeding with farming activities in vulnerable or sensitive areas.
The Phubala incident was reminiscent of the violent phase in Manipur before the imposition of the President's Rule on February 13. After unknown gunmen injured a Meitei farmer that day, an elderly Kuki woman was killed in a subsequent operation by security personnel in the adjoining Churachandpur district.