“Seeing the present unwelcome, helpless situation…”: Mass Resignation of BJP Office Bearers in Jiribam Amid Escalating Violence in Manipur

At least eight office bearers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jiribam Mandal in Manipur have resigned from the party on Monday, in response to the recent wave of violence in the region. The mass resignation comes a day after the party’s close ally, the National People’s Party (NPP), withdrew its support for the state government led by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

“We the following undersign office bearer and executive member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jiribam Mandal submit our resignation tender from BJP member seeing the present unwelcome/helpless situation of Jiribam as well as Manipur as a whole. Therefore may kindly accept our resignation letter,” read the letter submitted by the office bearers.

The office bearers who resigned from the party include K. Jadu Singh (President), Mutum Hemanta Singh (General Secretary), and P. Biramani Singh (General Secretary - Organisation). They have expressed deep concern over the worsening situation in Jiribam and the broader state. They cited the "unwelcome and helpless situation" prevailing in the region as the primary reason for their resignation.

Jiribam, which had largely remained peaceful in the earlier months of the ethnic conflict, has witnessed a surge in unrest following the discovery of a farmer's mutilated body in June. The violence has since escalated, affecting both the local population and political structures in the area. Tensions in Manipur have reached a new high following the recent deaths of civilians who were abducted by militants on November 11. Their bodies were discovered later, fueling further unrest in the already volatile region. The incident has intensified protests and violence in the state.

On Sunday, a protestor was killed and another injured as demonstrations turned violent in the Imphal Valley. According to police, security forces opened fire to disperse a mob in Jiribam district, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old protestor identified as K. Athouba. The incident occurred around 11 pm at Babupara, a local area in the district. Authorities said the mob had been ransacking and setting fire to the offices of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in the area, prompting security forces to take action to control the escalating situation. The violence also saw attempts by agitators to storm the ancestral residence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, although these efforts were thwarted by security forces.

In another violent incident, an angry mob attacked and set fire to the residence of Manipur’s Public Works Department (PWD) and Youth Affairs and Sports (YAS) Minister, Govindas Konthoujam. The fire destroyed nearly 80 percent of the minister's house, including his office located within the premises. The estimated loss is pegged at around Rs 3 crore.

The central government has decided to deploy 50 additional CAPF companies in Manipur in response to the escalating violence. The deployment will consist of 35 companies from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 15 from the Border Security Force (BSF). This is the second round of central force reinforcement in the state, following recent violence that erupted in the Jiribam district and spread to other areas.

The situation in Manipur has been tense since May 2023, when ethnic clashes broke out. The clashes have resulted in the deaths of over 200 people, with thousands more displaced and seeking refuge.