Imphal, Oct 25: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, on Sunday, called for an end to gun culture during his visit to the Sinai camp in Kangpokpi district, asserting that lasting peace and progress would remain elusive as long as violence persisted.
Described by the state government as the first visit by a sitting Manipur Chief Minister to a designated Suspension of Operations (SoO) camp, Singh inspected the premises and received briefings from CRPF and Assam Rifles officers on the operation and the prevailing security situation.
“Manipur cannot progress or achieve lasting peace as long as a gun culture exists,” the Chief Minister said, appealing to people across the state to shun violence, surrender illegal weapons and work collectively to restore peace and harmony.
Accompanied by government spokesperson and Heirok MLA Th. Radheshyam, Singh commended CoBRA personnel for their courage and role in the operation.
He stressed that security operations must be conducted with due care to ensure innocent civilians are not affected, reiterating that protecting people’s lives and property is the primary responsibility of security forces.
Singh later interacted with representatives of civil society organisations and villagers in the area.
The visit comes amid renewed scrutiny of designated camps and the enforcement of ground rules under the SoO arrangement, following a joint security operation at Sinai camp on October 23.
During the operation, security forces arrested 17 individuals who allegedly impersonated registered cadres of the Kuki National Army (KNA) and the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA).
They also seized 24 firearms, 38 magazines, a large quantity of ammunition, explosives, wireless communication equipment and other combat gear.
The arrests have raised questions about how the alleged impersonators came to be present at the designated camp, the possession of weapons and whether camp functionaries had any role in the matter.
These circumstances remain under investigation. The available information does not establish whether camp officials were complicit or where other cadres were at the time.
The operation followed the October 19 killing of three Meitei civilians who were collecting firewood near Nongshum Hill in Imphal East district. The killings triggered protests and renewed demands for accountability and stronger security measures.
However, no direct link has been established in the information provided by the authorities between the 17 individuals arrested at Sinai camp and the October 19 killings.