Two incidents grabbed our attention with regard to the response of state police last week. The first incident is about the ransacking and storming of the residences of legislators by irate mobs. Cries of personal vendetta and looting of cash and valuables in the name of public angst came from the legislators and their supporters, resulting in swift action from the state police with the Chief Minister warning in his typical ‘will not spare anyone’ war-cry.
So far, Manipur Police has arrested 41 persons including a juvenile in connection with the arson/damage of properties of elected members on November 16. Police had been able to identify the alleged rioters from CCTV footage installed in the homes of the legislators. It was quite an achievement on the part of police action.
The Chief Minister himself had warned that the state government has no objection to peaceful protests against the killing of innocent people but acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated. He had condemned the destruction of ministers’ homes and looting of properties, labelling the perpetrators as “gangs” who acted under the guise of a democratic movement. He also assured the public that legal actions had already been initiated against those involved. We cannot but appreciate such a resolve from the Chief Minister who happens to be in charge of the Home department and also someone whose wings had been clipped in matters of security related issues. But the public expects such resolute action in equal measure for other incidents in the state.
The other incident is about the armed Kukis chasing away the state police who went to destroy poppy fields within the jurisdiction of Makhan village in Senapati district. Makhan village, adjacent to Kuki areas of Kangpokpi district is inhabited by the Liangmei Nagas and as per reports Kukis have encroached in areas under the jurisdiction of the village with their poppy plantations. As reported by them, a police team led by the Additional SP of Kangpokpi police along with volunteers from the village had gone there to destroy the illegal poppy fields.
However, the poppy planters wielding firearms and other weapons aggressively confronted the team and destroyed the equipment brought to uproot the poppy plants thereby derailing the mission under the War on Drugs campaign of the state government. The volunteers were forced to retreat as the police personnel ran away after the armed resistance by the armed Kukis. The volunteers had gone to guide the police team through the difficult terrain but also to show solidarity with the Manipur Government's "War on Drugs" initiative. Now the Makhan village authority has served a four-day ultimatum to the government to destroy poppy plantations on Makhan Liangmai Naga land and arrest the armed Kuki groups involved in the incident.
And what did the state government do in response? Taking to X on Saturday night, the Chief Minister said that agencies such as NCB, NAB, central security forces and state police are always on standby to take all necessary action against poppy cultivation. Mind you, the incident of armed Kukis chasing away state police happened on Wednesday. Still no action either from the state police or agencies combating poppy cultivation and drugs is forthcoming except for that Saturday night post in X.
Given the swift action of state police with regard to violence against state legislators, we are in doubt whether explicit orders to take action against the armed Kuki groups who threatened the police and destroyed equipment in Makhan or not. We have our faith in the police taking on everyone acting against the law or government campaigns. But the lack of response or affirmative action in the Makhan incident also make us raise suspicions on whether the state police is reluctant to take on the armed Kuki groups guarding the poppy fields in Makhan. If so, a case study should be conducted as to whether the state police have a split personality or not?
