Police fire tear gas shells to disperse protesters in northeastern India
by Aditi VermaPolice fired tear gas shells to disperse activists in northeastern India’s Manipur as tensions escalated during a torch rally protesting against perceived threats to Manipur’s territorial integrity.
The incident took place from Kwakeithel Akham Leikai community hall and moved towards Keishampat Junction in Imphal on September 8.
Visuals showed some people protesting at night, carrying lights in their hands on the road. To disperse and calm the protest, the police launched a tear gas attack on them. As soon as the gas spread, everyone started fleeing in different directions to escape the fumes.
On Sunday evening, Meira Paibi activists from Kwakeithel and surrounding areas held a torch rally from Kwakeithel Akham Leikai community hall to Keishampat Junction in Imphal. The protest was aimed at voicing strong opposition to any perceived attempts to erase Manipur and its territorial integrity. Participants chanted slogans like “Long live Manipur,” “Manipur’s territorial integrity cannot be broken,” and “Stop Kuki-Zo terrorists from attacking Meetei civilians.”
As the rally progressed towards Keishampat Junction, they encountered a heavy deployment of police personnel. The situation escalated into a standoff between the protestors and the police when the activists broke through the police barricade. To control the crowd and prevent further escalation, police fired tear gas shells, causing the crowd to disperse temporarily.
On the sidelines of the protest, a spokesperson for the Meira Paibi activists, S. Rita, criticized the central and state governments for their inaction against the Kuki-Zo groups, whom she accused of terrorizing the state for over a year. She claimed that drone bombings and rocket attacks by these groups against civilians were tantamount to an attempt to destroy Manipur.
S. Rita further alleged that both the central and state governments had not taken any concrete steps to curb the ongoing violence, thereby endangering the state’s integrity. She reaffirmed that the people of Manipur are committed to defending their homeland against any threats that seek to disintegrate it.
The protesters also demanded the removal of the state’s security advisor and the Director General of Police (DGP), expressing strong opposition to search operations in the valley and the arrest of village volunteers. The protest reflects deep-seated frustrations within the Meitei community regarding the state’s handling of ongoing conflicts and security concerns.