New Delhi: In response to the escalating violence in Manipur, the Union Home Ministry has taken a significant step by repatriating top Srinagar police official Rakesh Balwal to the north-eastern state. This move comes amid fresh waves of turmoil that erupted following the brutal killings of two students who had gone missing in July. Manipur, plagued by ongoing violence since May, faces a critical juncture as protests continue to rage, prompting the central government to take immediate action.
Rakesh Balwal, a 2012-batch IPS officer originally from the Manipur cadre but posted in Jammu and Kashmir, is now being sent back to his home state to assist in stabilising the situation. The decision to prematurely repatriate Balwal underscores the gravity of the situation in Manipur and the urgency to restore peace in the region.
The recent wave of violence began after disturbing images emerged on social media, revealing the gruesome fate of two missing students, 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit and 17-year-old Hijam Linthoingambi. These photographs depicted the students seated in a makeshift jungle camp, accompanied by armed individuals. Tragically, the subsequent image showed the lifeless bodies of the young victims lying on the ground, underscoring the heinousness of the crime.
The disappearance of Hemjit and Linthoingambi occurred in Bishnupur district, located 35 kilometres from Churachandpur, a district that had already witnessed violence earlier in May. It is alleged that armed individuals abducted the students from the area between these two districts, ultimately leading to Churachandpur.
In response to the shocking images and mounting public outrage, Manipur saw massive protests erupt across the state. In the capital city of Imphal, hundreds of students marched towards Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's residence, demanding justice for the slain students. The situation escalated to the point where state police had to employ riot gear and tear gas to quell the agitation, further intensifying the unrest.
In the early hours of today, the violence continued unabated, with protesters vandalizing the deputy commissioner's office in Imphal West and setting fire to two vehicles. Clash incidents between protesters and security forces occurred in Uripok, Yaiskul, Sagolband, and Tera, leading to the deployment of tear gas shells by security personnel to disperse the crowd.
