Law and order remain sensitive but under control: Manipur CM
"The briefing by IGAR [South] Major General Gaurav Sharma at the secretariat today reaffirmed that the law and order situation in the State is sensitive but under control, with security forces responding to all disturbances with utmost care and restraint," says Chief Minister
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Context
On April 18, 2026, Manipur Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh met with the Inspector General of the (South) to review the state's law and order framework. He publicly affirmed that the situation remains 'sensitive but under control', commending security forces for responding to disturbances with utmost restraint. This high-level review underscores the continuous reliance on central and paramilitary forces to stabilize the region following prolonged periods of severe ethnic unrest.
UPSC Perspectives
Governance
The ongoing security operations in Manipur highlight the intricate dynamics of federalism during severe state-level crises. Under the of the Constitution, 'Public Order' and 'Police' are exclusively State subjects, meaning the primary responsibility for peace lies with the Chief Minister and state machinery. However, when ethnic violence scales beyond local capacity, the Centre invokes its constitutional duty. explicitly mandates the Union government to protect states against 'external aggression and internal disturbance'. This creates a functional overlap where Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and paramilitary units must operate in tandem with state police, requiring seamless civil-military coordination to avoid jurisdictional friction and ensure the restoration of constitutional machinery.
Security
The involvement of the is central to the Northeastern security architecture. As India's oldest paramilitary force, it operates under a unique dual control structure: its administrative control (funding, recruitment, infrastructure) lies with the , while its operational control (deployment, strategy, leadership) is vested in the via the Indian Army. In Manipur, their mandate traditionally involves guarding the highly porous Indo-Myanmar border and conducting counter-insurgency operations. However, deploying them for internal riot control and buffer-zone management during ethnic clashes stretches their operational scope. UPSC aspirants must note that managing internal civil strife requires calibrated force and strict neutrality, as perceived bias by central forces can severely exacerbate trust deficits among conflicting communities.
Social
The Chief Minister's assessment of a 'sensitive' state points to the persistence of negative peace (the mere absence of active violence) rather than positive peace (the presence of harmony, justice, and structural equity). The root of the Manipur crisis lies in the deep-seated demographic and geographical divide between the valley-dwelling Meitei community and the hill-dwelling Kuki-Zo tribes. Security forces can only enforce a temporary cessation of hostilities; a permanent solution demands robust confidence-building measures (CBMs). Resolving this requires addressing structural anxieties related to land rights, affirmative action (ST status), and equitable resource distribution, emphasizing that law and order is ultimately a byproduct of social cohesion.