Imphal, Oct 19: Peace has emerged as a political flashpoint in Manipur, with the BJP-led government and the Opposition Congress offering sharply contrasting assessments of the state’s security situation amid renewed violence.
Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Monday said the state government, in coordination with security forces, had undertaken concerted efforts to restore peace and stability.
He added that sustained efforts had also encouraged the voluntary surrender of arms.
Addressing the 135th Raising Day of the Manipur Police at the 1st Manipur Rifles ground, Singh appealed to all sections of society and political parties to acknowledge positive efforts while pointing out shortcomings constructively.
“Undue criticism would undermine the state’s progress and would not contribute to restoring peace,” he said.
His remarks came amid renewed violence in Imphal East, where three people were killed and three others injured in a suspected militant attack on Monday.
Angry protesters brought the bodies to the state capital and placed them outside the Chief Minister’s official bungalow, challenging the government’s claims that peace was returning to Manipur.
Police later dispersed the protesters by firing tear gas shells, after which the bodies were taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.
Security was tightened across the state capital, with approach roads leading to the Chief Minister’s bungalow and Raj Bhavan cordoned off.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam rejected claims that peace had returned to Manipur, arguing that a temporary decline in violence could not be equated with lasting peace while normal life remained disrupted and displaced people were unable to return home.
Akoijam made the remarks while speaking to the media at Raj Medicity Hospital in Imphal on Monday, where he had gone to enquire about the condition of people injured in the latest incident.
“Honestly speaking, I do not buy the idea that peace has returned. By any definition, peace is not merely the absence of violence,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with the medical definition of health, the MP argued that peace should be measured not merely by a reduction in violent incidents but also by the functioning of institutions, the resumption of normal public life and people’s ability to live without fear or disruption.
He pointed out that many people remained unable to return to their homes, questioning claims that normalcy had been restored.
Akoijam also cautioned that although the scale of violence might have declined temporarily, fresh incidents had occurred, with violence extending to hill areas. He warned that criminal elements could exploit arrangements under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework.
The Congress MP maintained that his position should not be viewed as a political stance but as a genuine effort to help restore peace in Manipur.