Manipur: NTT Caught Amidst Crossfire, 88 Days with No Semblance of Normalcy in the state

Tamal Saha and team NTT have reached Manipur once again, and on their way to Churachandpur, they were greeted by a war-like situation in Tera Khongshangbi on Thursday, that was nothing short of a terrifying nightmare. The team was caught amidst crossfire for over 5 hours, and there came a point where they had to vacate the vehicle ferrying them in search of safety, to avoid the barrage of bullets being fired.

The locals allege that the firing ensued as early as 4am on Thursday morning, and the incessant firing continued thereafter. Bands of women vacated their houses to escape the precarious situation and huddled up behind concrete structures, seeking shelter. The fear and the panic plastered on their faces were palpable. “This has become a part and parcel of our lives. Our homes are not safe anymore; we have come out to escape the firing. Often, we sleep on the streets at night because it is not safe at home”, said a distressed lady who sought shelter along with the team.       

It has been 87 days since violence first erupted in Manipur; sadly, it is far from being mitigated or contained. Death, displacement and devastation have now been intricately laced with the ethos of Manipur. Caught in the middle of crossfire, team NTT was rendered helpless as the sounds of terror echoed across Bishnupur.

The incessant firing that rocked the troubled area was in very close proximity to team NTT; it was deducible from the intensity of the sounds of gun firing. The warlike situation was punctuated by rushing ambulances, deployment of troops, cries of desperation, and people running for safety.    

A mere concrete wall was the only thing that stood in between the people seeking shelter and open firing of the miscreants. Forces armed to the teeth had to halt their mission after they gauged the volatility of the situation; they too sought shelter by the wall. The direction of the sporadic firing could not be gauged easily.

Smoke billowing from a state force bunker could be spotted, and the sounds later were indicative of firing from both sides. People on the road were constantly being monitored by the miscreants as buzzing of flying drones could be heard at a distance. Any movement on the streets triggered a fresh barrage of bullets; hence the people sprinted from one spot to another, risking their lives in an attempt to carry on with the chores of their daily lives. 

At a point, the team was separated from their vehicle and were the only ones stuck at the troubled area. Helpless, they made frantic calls to the driver, trying to gauge the exact location of the car, as heavy firing continued. After much ordeal, the team sprinted to the car as bullets continued to rain in the offing.

Such is the situation of Manipur. The first wave of violence hit the state on May 3, and it has been over two months since. Neither the firing, nor the chaos and violence have died down. Videos of unthinkable and barbaric occurrences have come to the fore. The people are homeless, their houses have been torched and they displaced. Manipur has witnessed widespread protests, however, that has failed to fetch results. The state government could not stop the violence from spreading, and the center has not issued a statement centering on the Manipur mayhem.  Forces have been deployed in great numbers, yet, no one knows when normalcy will be restored in the state.   

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