Manipur: Illegally-Held Weapons Surrendered in Churachandpur and Imphal East Following Governor’s Appeal

Following an appeal by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and coordinated public awareness efforts by the District Police, Assam Rifles, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), residents in Manipur have begun surrendering illegally-held weapons. This move is part of a broader initiative to promote peace and de-weaponisation in the region.

On Saturday, members of the Zomi and Kuki communities voluntarily surrendered a total of 16 weapons and ammunition in Churachandpur district, and one weapon in Imphal East district. The surrendered items in Churachandpur included one M-16 rifle, one 7.62 mm SLR rifle, two AK rifles, three INSAS rifles, two M-79 40mm Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGL), one 9mm carbine machine gun, one 51 mm mortar, three .303 rifles, two single barrel rifles, sixty-four gelatine sticks, ten rounds of 60 mm Pumpi (improvised mortar) ammunition, seventeen rounds of AK ammunition, forty rounds of 5.56 mm rifle ammunition, and three 9 mm calibre ammunition.

In Imphal East, the surrendered items included one CMC carbine with magazine, six 2″ mortar shells, 1200 rounds of 5.56×30 mm ammunition, and 2200 rounds of .22 ammunition.

Security forces have conducted search operations and area domination exercises in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. During these operations, Manipur police recovered two 36 hand grenades without detonators, five 9 mm pistols, one SMG carbine marked ‘CT05’ (without magazine, pistol grip, bridge block), five .303 live ammunitions, four 7.62 mm AK live ammunitions, one single bore barrel (registered no. 1667-76), two detonators with wire, one radio set (BAOFENG), one country-made machine gun with magazine, two .22 live ammunitions, and five anti-riot shells from Phunal Maring Village under Irilbung-PS, Imphal-East district. Additionally, one country-made Lathode, eight IEDs, three Pompi shells, and one radio set (Baofeng) were recovered from the general area of Leibi Khunou under Moreh-PS, Tengnoupal district.

Governor Bhalla had appealed to members of all communities to surrender looted police weapons and illegally-held arms within seven days, warning that strict action would follow for possession of arms. In response, Assam Rifles, along with the Police, CRPF, State Intelligence Agencies, and State Administration, engaged with local Zomi and Kuki community leaders. They addressed security concerns, provided assurances of safety, and emphasised the positive impact of de-weaponisation in the region.

The engagement proved fruitful, as community leaders voluntarily surrendered a significant quantity of arms and ammunition as a stepping stone in the peace process, which has been the Central government’s stance from the start. After discussions with the joint security forces and state administration, the Zomi and Kuki community leaders engaged with the local population and brought the first lot of voluntarily surrendered weapons on February 22, 2025, at Tuibong Village, Churachandpur district.

The surrendered weapons and ammunition were handed over in the presence of top-ranking officials from Assam Rifles, CRPF, State Civil Administration, Police, and State Intelligence Agencies of Churachandpur district. The joint forces meticulously planned an all-encompassing effort involving Assam Rifles, police, state civil administration, CRPF, and state intelligence agencies. This initiative aims to motivate other groups to further the peace process, inspiring and motivating youth to surrender arms and work towards a better future for the overall development of the region, thereby enabling the peace process to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.