By – Sh Ajit, Senior Journalist
The recent bomb attack at Tronglaobi village in Moirang, which claimed the lives of a five-year-old boy and a six-month-old infant while injuring their mother, is not merely another tragic incident — it is a horrifying reflection of the complete collapse of public security in Manipur. The attack, carried out in the dead of night while the family was asleep, has once again exposed the frightening reality that civilians in the state are no longer safe even within the walls of their own homes.
The subsequent recovery of two high-intensity improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from abandoned houses in the same locality under Moirang Police Station has further intensified fear and anger among the public. The presence of such deadly explosives in a civilian area raises deeply disturbing questions about the effectiveness of intelligence networks, surveillance systems and preventive security measures. If explosives can be planted and stored so freely in residential localities, then the authorities must answer a painful but unavoidable question: who is truly in control of the ground situation?
For the people of Manipur, these incidents are no longer seen as isolated acts of violence. They are increasingly viewed as part of a dangerous and continuing pattern of insecurity that has turned ordinary civilian life into a daily struggle for survival. Repeated bomb attacks, the recovery of explosives and the targeting of vulnerable localities clearly indicate that Kuki-Zo militant activities continue unabated despite the prolonged deployment of massive security forces across the state.
Public frustration is now reaching a breaking point because the response of the authorities appears largely reactive rather than preventive. Time and again, action comes only after innocent lives have been lost. Official condemnations, compensation announcements and routine assurances cannot substitute for the government’s primary responsibility to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the first place. A state that fails to protect its citizens before blood is shed cannot claim success merely by reacting after disaster strikes.
Naturally, serious doubts are now emerging over whether the existing security framework is capable of restoring public confidence. When explosives are discovered only after deadly attacks have already taken place, people are left questioning whether intelligence agencies and security forces are functioning effectively on the ground or simply reacting after irreversible damage has already been done.
The worsening security crisis is also producing dangerous social consequences. Manipur is already burdened by trauma, displacement, fear and deep public mistrust. In such a volatile atmosphere, any perception of administrative failure, political indifference or security negligence can further inflame public anger and widen tensions between civilians and security personnel. The continued inability to guarantee safety risks pushing society deeper into instability and despair.
Equally concerning is the growing perception that the political leadership is failing to display the urgency the situation demands. At a time when Manipur continues to witness violence, bomb attacks and civilian deaths, the Chief Minister was attending programmes outside the state, including a visit to the International Centre of the Art of Living Foundation in Bengaluru, and later travelling to Assam to attend an official function in Guwahati. For citizens living under constant fear and uncertainty, such developments create the unfortunate impression that political priorities are drifting away from the suffering and insecurity faced by the people on the ground.
Manipur cannot afford to normalise bloodshed, bomb attacks and the killing of innocent children. The state stands at a critical point where public confidence in governance and security institutions is steadily eroding. Restoring that confidence requires far more than symbolic gestures, compensation packages and ceremonial appearances. It demands decisive political leadership, stronger coordination among security agencies, an effective intelligence system and immediate proactive measures to ensure that civilians are no longer left defenceless in their own homes. Until then, every such tragedy will continue to serve as a painful reminder of a system that has failed to guarantee the most basic duty of any government — the protection of human life.