The killing of Manipur's top church leader, Reverend V Sitlhou, along with two other church leaders on Wednesday in Kangpokpi district, is being viewed as a potential turning point in the central government's efforts to restore order in the violence-torn state. A top security source indicated that the Centre is already in the process of leveraging all available resources to stabilise Manipur by the end of the year, ahead of assembly elections scheduled for March next year.
Urgent Need to Establish Rule of Law
“There is an urgent necessity to establish the rule of law and end the gun culture in Manipur,” the source stated, hinting at some hard-hitting decisions by the Centre, including a massive deployment of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) drawn from Chhattisgarh, where anti-Naxal operations are winding down. According to the source, five battalions of the force's elite CoBRA commandos are expected to arrive in Manipur soon, equipped with advanced drones similar to those used in Chhattisgarh to neutralise Maoist strongholds.
Deployment of CoBRA Commandos and Advanced Equipment
“These CoBRA commandos are specially trained in guerrilla warfare and will be deployed in both the valley and the hills,” the source added. Furthermore, at least 40 of the CRPF's lethal all-terrain light bulletproof vehicles (LBPV), nicknamed the Marksman, which were used extensively in anti-Naxal operations, have already reached Imphal after their duty in West Bengal polls. These vehicles are agile, can withstand IED blasts, and each has a capacity to carry up to six personnel. “These vehicles will give the force the much-needed edge in Manipur's difficult terrain,” the source emphasised.
Sophisticated Drones and Hotspots
In addition, the drones used by the CRPF are highly sophisticated. One version has a range of 10 kilometres, while another version has a range of 30 kilometres. “At the moment, the hotspots in Manipur are at Litan in Ukhrul district, pockets in Imphal East district, Saikul in Kangpokpi district, Sugnu, Dongyang, and Lailoiphai areas in Churachandpur district, and the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district,” the source said.
Over 200 companies of CRPF are already deployed in Manipur, primarily for maintaining buffer zones that restrict movement between the hills and the valley—a measure aimed at preventing further clashes between communities. The unrest, now in its third year, has left Manipur deeply unsettled, with cycles of retaliatory violence between Kuki-Zo, Tangkhul Naga, and Meitei groups. The Centre's strategy appears to be a mix of heavy security reinforcement and political urgency, with the goal of restoring law and order before the state heads to elections.
