GUWAHATI: The Central government announced the deployment of an additional 50 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) to Manipur on Monday, November 18.
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Comprising over 5,000 personnel, the reinforcement includes 35 CRPF units and 15 BSF units, marking the second wave of deployments in less than a week. On November 12, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had already dispatched 20 CAPF companies of 15 CRPF and 5 BSF to the violence-hit state. With this latest deployment, a total of 218 CAPF companies are now stationed across Manipur.
This decision from the Indian government comes following a fresh outbreak of violence that began in Jiribam district and spread to other areas, including the capital city of Imphal. Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting in Delhi on Monday to review the security situation, his second in less than 24 hours.
Prior to this, Shah had plans to lead campaign rallies in poll-bound Maharashtra, but cancelled them to prioritise addressing the Manipur crisis.
Ethnic tensions between the Kuki and Meitei communities have plagued Manipur since June 2023, leading to widespread violence, displacement of thousands, and significant loss of life and property. The situation remains volatile for the moment, as authorities are continuously aiming to stabilise the volatile situation.