There is no let up on 'Ground Zero' situation in Manipur .... Soldiers on leave are attacked and kidnapped !! Writ of the law in question .....

This is the fourth incident since the commencement of the conflict in Manipur wherein soldiers whilst on leave, on duty or their relatives have been targeted for nefarious interests by inimical elements. It is certainly a matter of deep concern. 

CM Biren in Assembly: A big question mark, where is the Writ of the Law ?

A serving Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of Indian Army, a resident of Thoubal of District Manipur, who was on leave was abducted from his residence (in a vehicle) at approximately nine o clock in the morning on March 8, 2024, Friday.

The JCO Konsam Kheda Singh is a resident of Charangpat Mamang Leikai in district Thoubal, Manipur. 

On receiving information, a coordinated search operation has been launched by all security agencies including Manipur police to rescue the personnel.

Checking of all vehicles plying on National Highway 102 is currently in progress. The cause of the abduction is not known and further details are awaited. 

File snap of 2023 violence 

In September 2023, a former Assam Regiment soldier Serto Thangthang Kom was kidnapped and killed by an unidentified armed group. 

He was posted in Manipur's Leimakhong with the Defence Service Corps (DSC). 

"He was on leave at his house in Imphal West at the time of incident," the Indian Army's Spear Corps had said in a post on X.

Two months later, an unidentified armed group kidnapped four people while they were travelling in an SUV from the hill district Churachandpur to Leimakhong, and killed them. 

The four were family members of an Indian Army soldier serving in Jammu and Kashmir. 

A fifth passenger, the father of the soldier, who was injured, managed to escape and was later airlifted by the army to Dimapur for treatment. He was eventually shifted to the base hospital in Guwahati, Assam. 

As per sources the father has now been treated at the Base Hospital Guwahati and is now convalescing in Leimakhong Military Hospital (LMS). 

Sources said the body of the soldier's mother has been found and has been shifted to Leimakhong, from where the body could be airlifted to Churachandpur for the last rites.

An Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) from the Manipur Police was attacked in his house in Imphal city on 27th February 2024. 

The attackers in this case were identified as Arambai Tenggol (AT). 

Following the incident, the Police Commandos of Manipur laid down their arms in Imphal and other areas. The open defiance of discipline in the Police ranks on the morning of the commencement of the State Assembly (28th February 2024) prompted Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, to visit the police officer in the hospital and also hold discussions with the senior Police officials to address their grievances. 

Manipur police also published a statement blaming the notorious group AT for the attack and warning all miscreants to refrain from such acts and indicating the prevalence of such conditions will result in reimposition of AFSPA in the valley.

The security forces toiling day and night for early restoration of peace and normalcy are being targeted for performing their duty. 

the Arambai Tenggol is a Meitei activist organisation -- also calling itself a 'revivalist organisation' that aims to reestablish the prominence of native Sanamahi religion among the Meiteis.

In January 2024, the organisation demonstrated its influence by summoning all the elected Meitei legislators  for a meeting to deliberate on the 'defence of Meiteis' in the prevailing conflict.

The attacks by the inimical elements on security forces and their families need to be strongly condemned and perpetrators caught and punished as per the law.