More than 100 minors have been arrested for their alleged involvement with armed rebel groups during three years of ethnic conflict in Manipur, official data seen by Hindustan Times showed, highlighting the vulnerability of events in the strife-torn state.
At least 114 minors allegedly involved in 95 cases were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) between May 2023 and April this year, state social welfare department data showed.
The latest statistics indicate the extent of minors’ involvement in the ongoing violence in Manipur.
The arrest of a minor belonging to the banned underground group National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM) on May 25 from Mayai Kaithil in Thoubal District was a case in point. The youngest detainees are 14 and 15 years old, and they told local government officials that they took up arms to defend their villages.
The data do not specifically prove that all detained minors carried out violent activities as part of rebel groups. But their prolonged exposure to weapons, armed networks and community defense groups led them to take up arms, leading to their alleged involvement in violence.
A phenomenon at the state level
The figures have been consolidated and obtained by the Social Welfare Department from all 16 districts of Manipur, including Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching and five valley districts, as well as from the remaining hill districts. The five valley districts are mainly inhabited by Meitei and other communities but dominated by the Meitei community. The remaining hill areas are mainly inhabited by Kuki and Naga communities.
The arrests were made during intense counter-insurgency operations conducted across the state, which led to increased arrests and surrender of insurgents and armed volunteers.
Officials and local residents said young men faced constant pressure to carry weapons to defend themselves and their families during the height of violence in Manipur, and were later drawn into insurgency networks.
Imphal West district recorded the highest number of cases involving juveniles with 47 cases involving 47 children. This represents more than 40 percent of all children booked under the UAPA during this period.
Tungubal District came in second place with the arrest of 24 children in 14 cases, while Thoubal District recorded the arrest of 14 children in seven cases. Imphal East district recorded eight children in seven cases, followed by Bishnupur with six children in six cases, Ukhrul with five children in five cases, and Kamjong with three children in three cases.
The evolving crisis
The Manipur crisis, which broke out on May 3, 2023, has claimed more than 260 lives so far and displaced more than 60,000 people from their homes. The crisis, primarily involving the Meitei and Kuki-Zu communities, has disrupted the normal lives of thousands of people and students. This has led to the widespread proliferation of firearms throughout the state.
Villagers from the Meite and Kuki Zo communities said many minors have become village defense volunteers to guard their villages, especially in vulnerable and marginal areas. Virtual boundaries have been drawn between the dominant areas inhabited by the two communities.
A resident affected by the violence in the Imphal Valley, who requested to remain anonymous, said that many young boys volunteered to guard villages and participated in night patrols in the first months of the violence.
He added: “During the first months of the outbreak of violence, everyone was trying to protect their homes. Many teenagers joined local defense activities. Some of them later became familiar with weapons and established contacts with various armed groups operating in the area.”
A village elder from the Kuki-Zu community who requested to remain anonymous said: “Hundreds of children have spent months in relief camps and away from formal education. With prolonged exposure to such an environment of violence, gunfire and uncertainty, they become more vulnerable to the influence of armed groups.”
Challenges and rehabilitation
Given the violence and the volatile situation, it was not easy for the security forces to separate the minors from the active militants. For example, some minors became informants or couriers for rebel groups.
“Poverty, psychological trauma, displacement, interruption of education and the desire to protect their community are among the factors commonly associated with the recruitment of (minors) into armed groups,” said a child welfare specialist familiar with the state’s rehabilitation program.
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She further said: “The challenge is not an issue of law and order. It is an issue of child protection. Children who have been exposed for long periods of time to such violence often suffer from long-term psychological and social trauma.”
The government expanded the rehabilitation framework for children in conflict with the law under provisions established by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). Some of those arrested may be placed in observation homes for their safety, depending on the nature of their crimes.
Manipur runs five watch homes, two private homes and one safety home for minors. In addition, five new government-run observation homes have been set up and are operational: two in Jiribam district and one each in Senapati, Kangpokpi and Chandel districts, said Sheikh Abdul Hakim, director of the Social Welfare Department.
“The rehabilitation of these minors begins with assessment and immediate care,” Hakim said. “Each child is provided with an individual care plan based on factors such as age, gender, family background, social behaviour, mental health, physical health and other specific needs. This plan covers education, vocational training, counselling, healthcare and family reintegration.”
