In a worrying development in violence-hit Manipur, now bombs are being dropped using drones to target members of the Meitei community. Manipur has been plagued by violence and unrest. 

On Monday, a three people were injured in a drone attack carried out by militants at Senjam Chirang Maning Leikai, Imphal West District.

This incident is the second drone attack in two days. On Sunday, militants launched a similar attack, killing two people and injuring nine others. The attacks have spread fear and panic among the Meitei community, with 17 families fleeing their village in fear of their lives.

The Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers, a militant group, has released a video threatening to drive out Meitei people from their village if they do not vacate the area within three days. This threat has added to the tensions and fears of the Meitei community.

Unprecedented Development

According to Manipur Police, Kuki militants deployed Rocket Propelled Grenades using high-tech drones. "While drone bombs have commonly been used in general warfares, this recent deployment of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and the civilians marks a significant escalation," Manipur Police said in a post on X.

"The involvement of highly trained professionals, possibly with technical expertise and support, cannot be ruled out. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and the police are prepared to respond to any contingency that may arise," the Police added.

Reprehensible act of terrorism: Biren Singh

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has vehemently condemned the recent incident of violence in the state, which resulted in the loss of two lives and left seven others injured. He categorically denounced the use of drones to drop bombs on civilians and security forces as "an act of terrorism". 

Singh emphasized the need for unity against hate, division, and separatism, stating: "The dropping of bombs on innocent civilians and security personnel using drones is a reprehensible act of terrorism. I condemn such cowardly attacks in the strongest possible terms. The Manipur state government takes this unprovoked assault extremely seriously and will respond accordingly to combat such forms of terrorism targeting our indigenous population."

"We reject all forms of violence and call upon the people of Manipur to unite against hate, division, and separatism. Together, we will work towards restoring peace and harmony in our state," he added.

Meitei Vs Naga-Kuki

The violence and unrest in Manipur are rooted in a long-standing dispute between the Meitei and Naga-Kuki communities. 

The Meitei community has been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which has been met with resistance from the Naga-Kuki community. The Meitei community contends that they were a tribe before Manipur merged with India in 1949 and should therefore be granted ST status.

However, the Naga-Kuki community is opposed to this demand, fearing that it will divide their rights and privileges. They argue that the Meitei community already dominates the Imphal valley, which accounts for 10% of the state's area but has 40 out of 60 assembly seats.

Demand for removal of central forces

The conflict has now taken a political turn, with BJP MLA Rajkumar Emo Singh demanding the removal of central forces from the state. He argues that the central forces have failed to restore peace and that the state government should take full responsibility for maintaining law and order.

The Manipur government has faced criticism for its handling of the situation, with many accusing it of failing to address the root causes of the conflict. The government has assured a special development package for the Kuki-dominated areas, but this has failed to appease the community.

The situation remains volatile, with protests and rallies held across Manipur demanding a separate Kukiland and criticizing the government's response to the violence.