Authorities in Manipur are making extensive preparations ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s two-day visit starting December 11, even as several militant outfits have called for a “total shutdown” in protest of the tour.
Security has been heightened along key routes, with workers repainting the median along the 7-kilometre stretch from Imphal Airport to the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex and decorating it with colourful flags. A 20-foot welcome banner for the President has been installed near Keisampat Junction. Sources said the President is likely to attend a programme in Imphal on December 11 and pay homage to women freedom fighters at the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex on December 12. She is also expected to visit Senapati district later on December 12 for another official event.
In the run-up to the visit, security forces have intensified operations across sensitive districts, resulting in recoveries of explosives and the arrests of insurgent cadres and criminal elements. The heightened security is part of the Security forces efforts to ensure a peaceful environment during the high-profile visit.
Police on Wednesday said that in a major recovery, security forces seized a cache of arms and explosives from forest areas of Hengkapkot village under Churachandpur Police Station. Items retrieved include one improvised mortar with an explosive initiation system, two high-explosive (HE) bombs, one smoke grenade, and 27 blank cases of various arms.
Meanwhile, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has welcomed the President’s visit while urging her attention to the continued plight of Kuki-Zo communities displaced by ongoing conflict. In an official statement, the council said the visit “carries deep significance and offers hope to many who continue to live with the scars of the ongoing conflict.” The KZC expressed respect for President Murmu, noting her understanding of the struggles, dignity, and identity of tribal communities.
The council also appealed to the President, a tribal leader herself, to visit Kuki-Zo areas to meet victims of the conflict. “We sincerely wish that the President… could also visit the Kuki-Zo areas to meet fellow tribal victims who have suffered immensely since the outbreak of violence,” the statement read.