Women-led vigilante groups in Manipur have caused disruptions by blocking six important arterial roads, making the southern part of the state inaccessible to security forces for the past two weeks. The affected roads include Bishnupur-Churachandpur, Thoubal-Nangjing, Thoubal-Yairipok, Yairipok-Chandrakong, Kakching-Lamkai, and Uripok-Iroisemba. This blockade of multiple locations, spanning from the valley to the hill districts in the south, has presented a new challenge for the security forces in Manipur, as they struggle to handle the ongoing violence.
One of the major issues faced by the security forces is the insufficient number of women contingents from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) or the paramilitary to address the women protesters. This lack of female personnel has resulted in delays in conducting operations and sending reinforcements to the affected areas. To address this, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has dispatched women contingents to Manipur.
The road blockades orchestrated by these vigilante groups follow a specific pattern, where 200-300 women block the road before a mob carries out acts of violence, often targeting villages or properties. This tactic makes it challenging for the affected villagers to seek assistance from the security forces, as they are unable to reach the affected areas promptly.
Two types of blockades have been observed: one obstructing essential supplies from entering the state, originating from the hills, and the other aimed at impeding security forces from conducting combing operations in the valley. While the Kuki groups have blocked National Highway-2 passing through the hill districts, security forces have ensured the supply of essential items through National Highway-37. However, deployment of forces in the buffer zones between the Kuki-dominated hill districts and the Meitei-dominated valley districts is still ongoing.
In response to the escalating ethnic violence, MLAs from Manipur, both from the ruling and opposition parties, are visiting Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and request stringent measures to address the situation. Non-BJP parties, along with some BJP MLAs, are coming together to submit a memorandum seeking a solution to the communal flare-up that has claimed over 100 lives since May 3.
