Manipur CM calls for unity among communities, seven militants arrested

Guwahati: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh took part in a Har Ghar Tiranga Yatra organised by the BJP's Singjamei Mandal in Imphal, where he called on all communities to work together for peace and unity in the ethnic violence-hit state.

The Chief Minister said Manipur was the first state in Southeast Asia to hold an Assembly election and that a Paite tribal leader from Churachandpur district was its first Speaker.

He said Manipur's territorial integrity has always been safeguarded by all communities together.


"Meiteis should not think only for Meiteis, Nagas should not think only for Nagas, Kukis should not think only for Kukis. We all should think for Manipur," Singh said.

Singh said Meiteis should play the role of a big brother and work to keep Manipur united.

Referring to his visit to Kangpokpi on Friday, the Chief Minister said he received a warm welcome from the people there. He said he found the people of Kangpokpi happy with his visit and that no one appeared to have any intention of starting a highway blockade.

Singh also referred to his visit to Jiribam district, bordering Assam, where different communities came together.

He referred to the killing of two innocent children in Bishnupur district and said such incidents showed that there were people who did not want peace to return to Manipur.

The Chief Minister called on the people to work towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat and a Viksit Manipur.

BJP leader Sharda Devi said the BJP government in Manipur was making all efforts to bring peace to the state.

Seven militants arrested

Meanwhile, security forces arrested seven militants belonging to different banned insurgent outfits and recovered arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials during separate joint operations in Manipur over the past 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.

A senior police official said the seven militants were apprehended from Imphal West and Bishnupur districts during coordinated operations carried out jointly by the Manipur Police and Central forces.

The arrested militants belong to the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), People's Liberation Army (PLA), its political wing Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL).

The official said the arrested militants were allegedly involved in various unlawful activities, including kidnapping, forcible collection of "subscriptions" and recruitment of youths into the banned outfits.

Security personnel recovered several incriminating documents, subscription receipts, cash, seals, letterheads of the banned outfits and other materials from the arrested militants.

In three separate joint operations in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, security forces also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition.

The recovered weapons and ammunition included 11 single-barrel breech-loading shotguns, six pistols, one anti-riot gun, 37 powerful hand grenades, one white phosphorus grenade, an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing approximately 4.6 kg, six empty magazines of SLR, INSAS and .303 rifles, six anti-riot shells, one vehicular set, two handheld sets, 162 live rounds of ammunition of different calibres, 26 empty cases and two stun shells.

Military equipment and other materials, including a bulletproof iron plate, bulletproof jacket cover, ammunition charger, communication set and military fatigues, were also recovered during the operations.

Meanwhile, security forces comprising the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Manipur Police continued extensive counter-insurgency operations, including searches and area domination exercises, in fringe, mixed-population and other vulnerable areas across the state.