All activities carried out by the Village Defence Force (VDF) in assisting the state police in maintaining law and order are likely to be seriously affected after VDF personnel across the state began their indefinite ‘Gun Down, Pen Down’ strike from 6 a.m. today.
The Central Committee of the All Manipur VDF Employees Welfare Association announced the indefinite strike yesterday, citing the government’s failure to address their long-standing demands. The Association’s key grievances include the implementation of Section 18 of the Police Act, 1861, as per the VDF recruitment rules; an increase in pay for VDF personnel; and the non-renewal of the VDF service, which expired on March 31, 2025.
The Association, however, stated that they are open to negotiation if the government provides a positive response.
It may be mentioned that there are over 10,000 VDF personnel in the state, who have been assigned to various duties, including assisting in counter-insurgency operations. Many VDF personnel are deployed in red zone areas during the ongoing conflict to protect civilian villagers in peripheral regions.