Police blame rogue elements for Kakwa violence
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 11 2024: While asserting that there is substantial evidence about various individuals inciting and influencing the students to not only resort to violence but also inflict injuries and causalities among the students, Manipur police has appealed to the people to stay vigilant against such anti-social elements.

Addressing the media at Manipur Police headquarters, Babupara here on Wednesday, IGP (Intelligence) K Kabib said that as rallies taken out in various areas of the valley on Monday were peaceful, Manipur police commended maturity of the participants.

However, on Tuesday, similarly protests turned violent especially in Kakwa area, due to non-local residents armed with sling shots, metal balls, marbles and even firearms attacking the police.

Similarly, while the students in Khwairamband Ima Keithel were protesting peacefully, certain individuals from other areas incited the students, the police officer said, adding that these groups of people not only pushed the students in harm's way but also used slingshots and lobbed Molotov cocktails at the police.

In order to take control of the situation, police fired rounds of tear gas shells, resulting in some students getting injured as well as 10 police personnel and a VDF member suffering injuries.

As majority of the protestors were students, the level of violence witnessed was unprecedented, thereby deepening suspension that the students were misled and manipulated by certain elements with the ulterior motive to create chaos, Kabib stated.

Further informing that apart from students, many people detained by the police were found to be not from Kakwa area, he also disclosed of these non-residents bringing petrol bombs, metal pellets, marbles and ball bearings specifically for slingshots.

After the protest by students on September 9, many students spent the night at Ima Keithel.

Among them, several students and their parents contacted the police via phone to take them out of Ima Keithel, he conveyed.

Questioning under which authority the students were allowed to spend the night at the market, Kabib informed that the police are investigating to identify masterminds behind the mayhem.

IGP (administration) K Jayanta, who also attended the press conference, said that while the state has witnessed various students' movements, the protest on Tuesday was one of a kind.

Groups of people from various places shadowed the students and started pelting stones and using sling shots against the police compelling the security personnel to retaliate with tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.

However, as the innocent students were caught in the middle, many were injured, which is unfortunate.

Although the police tried their best to keep the students from harm's way, the groups of people continued to attack the police with metal pellets and marbles using slings shots.

Left with no choice, the police had to use minimum force to take control of the situation, he explained.

The IGP continued that the police have already recovered the slingshots, metal pellets, marbles and petrol bombs used by the groups of people, who are manipulating and weaponising the young students.

In addition, police have also seized several two-wheelers suspected to have been used by the groups of people, which is now being kept at City and Singjamei police stations.

Investigations are underway to determine how these groups of people hijacked the protests, he added.

Stating that the protesting students are mostly underage, Jayanta questioned how and under which authority the students were allowed to stay the night at the market.

It also needs to be questioned why the parents overlooked the necessity to enquire about their children when they had not returned home from schools.

He then urged parents/guardians not to undermine the need for vigilance just because their children have gone to schools.

Rather, they need to monitor where and what their wards are doing.

Schools teachers and elders should help the students understand the seriousness of the current state of affairs.

While all are allowed to hold democratic protests, no one should resort to violent protests, he stressed.

The press conference was also attended by DIG (Intelligence) M Pradip.

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