NH-102 blocked by Meira Paibis over village volunteers arrest

IMPHAL: Meira Paibis, a group of Manipuri women, staged a road blockade agitation at Chingtham Village along National Highway 102 in Kakching district of Manipur, under the jurisdiction of the Khongjom police station, on Wednesday (June 12).

Their protest aims to secure the safe release of two village volunteers (VVs), who were recently apprehended by security forces and subsequently handed over to Manipur police.

The incident occurred when the two VVs were detained by the Assam Rifles at the Sora bazaar around 2:30 pm on Tuesday.

In response, Meira Paibis from Khongjom and Langathel villages rallied at the Khongjom police station, demanding the immediate release of the VVs without any conditions attached.

The women continued their protest, prompting the Manipur police to resort to using tear gas shells to disperse the crowd on Tuesday night.

According to officials, tear gas was deployed to quell the agitating Meira Paibis who persisted in demanding the unconditional release of the detained Village Volunteers.

Chaobi Devi, a member of the Meira Paibi group, asserted to reporters that the apprehended VVs were innocent individuals tasked with safeguarding Langathel village from potential threats posed by tribal militants amid ongoing ethnic tensions since May 3, 2023.