Manipur, May 1: Members of ‘Meira Paibis’, a women’s social movement in Manipur, on Tuesday demanded the release of 11 armed men dressed in uniform and blocked the Army from taking away arms and ammunition which were seized in Bishnupur district.
The armed cadres were ‘village volunteers’ (local armed civilians) belonging to a particular community who were carrying arms and ammunition seized by the Army.
Officials said that during patrolling in the Kumbi area under Bishnupur district, soldiers from the Army’s Mahar regiment intercepted two SUVs and arrested 11 village volunteers travelling in them.
When the soldiers took the arms and ammunition into their custody along with the detainees, a large number of women part of the ‘Meira Paibis’, who are vigilantes of the Meitei community, gathered at the spot and asked the Army soldiers to hand over the seized weapons and release the 11 detainees.
The women claimed that the arms and ammunition belonged to the village volunteers, who, according to the women, are protecting the villagers from attacks by the militants and village volunteers from the rival communities.
Hundreds of Meira Paibis members blocked the road and prevented the Army convoy from leaving the spot, forcing the soldiers to fire several rounds in the air to disperse the mob, but that could bring the situation under control.
Subsequently, a huge contingent of Manipur police personnel led by senior police officers reached the spot, and after a long discussion with the agitating women, the arms and ammunition were taken away by the police.
A police statement issued on Tuesday night said that they were informed by the Army that 11 detainees were taken away by the agitating women during an aggressive confrontation despite their best efforts.
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