YFPHR urges end to militarisation, alleges failure to protect civilians in Litan violence

The Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) expressed serious concern over what it described as the failure of the state to safeguard citizens from armed groups allegedly involved in the displacement of innocent civilians.
In a statement, the forum said it was shocked by the recent outbreak of violence at Litan in Ukhrul district, which reportedly displaced thousands of residents and led to the burning of several houses. It alleged that the incident occurred in the presence of Central Armed Forces and State armed forces, and termed it a serious lapse in accountability and a violation of human rights, stating that authorities failed to curb the violence in time. The forum further claimed that the incident was portrayed as a clash between two communities residing in the Litan area.
The organisation stated that several inter-community clashes had taken place in the state over the years and alleged that no comprehensive investigation had been conducted to examine lapses on the part of state mechanisms responsible for protecting citizens. It added that repeated incidents of violence had continued from the 1990s to the present.
The forum also raised concerns regarding the deployment of large numbers of central security forces in the state, questioning whether higher-level decisions had contributed to the prevailing situation. It alleged that despite increased security presence aimed at controlling violence, disturbances had escalated and villages had been left vulnerable.
The Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights urged the Government of India and concerned authorities to end what it termed as the militarisation of Manipur and to take effective measures to ensure the protection and security of its citizens.