Amidst attacks on politicians' homes, Manipur minister builds bunker, stocks up arms for defence

Imphal, Nov 19: Amidst escalating violence in Manipur, where irate mobs have been torching politicians' homes, some leaders are resorting to extraordinary measures to ensure their safety.

Public Health Engineering Minister and Khurai MLA Leishangthem Susindro Meitei has fortified his residence with a bunker and stocked weapons for self-defence, reflecting the deep sense of insecurity gripping the state.

“The situation is not good. My PSO has been injured and is hospitalised. A BSF jawan responsible for my security has also been shot. We have to protect ourselves. Therefore, I have built a bunker in my house. We want peace, but if attacked, we have to retaliate,” Meitei told the press, on Monday.

The unrest, reignited by the discovery of six bodies of missing women and children from Jiribam, has left the Meitei community outraged, with many vowing to take justice into their own hands.

So far, protesters have targeted the residences of 17 legislators, including an ancestral home of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

In view of the escalating protests and deteriorating law and order situation, the Centre has also ramped up its security response.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ordered the deployment of 50 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), comprising over 5,000 personnel, to the state this week.

This is in addition to the 20 CAPF companies rushed earlier in response to the violence that erupted in Jiribam district on November 12 and subsequently spread across the state.

Of the new units being deployed, 35 will be drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and 15 will come from the Border Security Force (BSF), according to official sources.

While security forces work to restore order, the situation in Manipur remains precarious.