Stone-Throwing, Clashes In Manipur's Churachandpur After Arrests Over Vandalism

A group of people including teens in Manipur's Churachandpur clashed with the security forces as they sought the release of some of their friends who were arrested in an alleged vandalism case.

Two men were arrested for alleged vandalism of public installations two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Kuki-dominant town in southern Manipur, 65 km from the state capital Imphal.

The vandalism at night in Phailien and Pearsonsonmun was attributed to sections who felt the Kuki, Zomi and Hmar tribe MLAs and insurgents in talks with the central government had not done enough to demand a separate administration.

On Sunday, a large number of young people surrounded the town's police station where the two accused were kept. They demanded for their release. Soon, the situation escalated and the protesters started throwing stones at the security personnel, the police said.

In visuals of the clashes shared by police sources, several teens were heard shouting at the security forces with expletives. One video showed three security personnel facing a large crowd of stone-throwers on a narrow street. After assessing the situation, the security personnel were seen peeling off and taking cover as large stones flew toward them.

A mention of "Gen Z", referring to the recent protests in Nepal, frequently came up on WhatsApp groups with members of the Zomi tribes expressing anger over the arrests.

A senior police officer told a crowd of protesters that many were detained and released, but the two accused had to be kept longer as they were arrested not only over alleged vandalism but also due to their suspicious activity.

"We have to question them and proceed as per law. They will be released if nothing is found," the officer said.

The two were released late on Sunday evening.

While the police said the situation is under control, locals said threats against a chief judicial magistrate appeared in a WhatsApp group called 'Behind the Truth' (BTT) which has 19,000 followers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Manipur on Saturday for the first time since 2023 after the Meitei-Kuki ethnic clashes began. He went to Churachandpur first and addressed people there before he came to Imphal for another public address.

PM Modi called for peace among communities and asked them to make Manipur a symbol of prosperity and progress. In Churachandpur, he laid the foundation of projects worth Rs 7,300 crore and in Imphal the prime minister inaugurated projects worth Rs 1,200 crore.