Army releases militants after standoff with female-led mob

India’s army released 12 militants from custody on Sunday who had been linked to several attacks in the country. It followed a standoff with a female-led mob of more than 1,200 people on Saturday in the northeastern state of Manipur.

In a statement, Delhi’s armed forces said the decision to release the members of the Meitei militant group Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) was made to ensure a peaceful conclusion to the standoff, which lasted for much of Saturday.

“Keeping in view the sensitivity of the use of kinetic force against a large irate mob led by women and likely casualties due to such action, a considered decision was taken to hand over all 12 cadres to the local leader,” the Indian Army said in a statement.

It added that the commander overseeing the operation had taken the “mature decision” to quell the disturbance, and that the move showed the “humane face of the Indian Army.”

The unrest swiftly followed the apprehension of the KYKL members; a militant separatist outfit fighting to pursue an independent homeland for the Metei community. The group, which is banned in India, is linked to several attacks in the country, the army says. This includes the ambush of a military convoy in the Chandel district of Manipur in June 2015 which resulted in the deaths of 18 members of the Indian Army. A further 15 were injured in the assault.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been criticized for perceived inaction throughout the crisis in Manipur, has been monitoring the situation and “guiding us with full sensitivity,” Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday, according to the PTI news agency.

The female-led mob, which consisted of between 1,200 to 1,500 people, “surrounded the target area and prevented Security Forces from going ahead with the operation,” the army said.

“Repeated appeals to the aggressive mob to let the security forces carry on with the operation as per law did not yield any positive result,” the statement added.

More than 100 people have been killed in recent clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur after violence broke out in early May after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was arranged to protest the Meitei community’s pursuit of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Scheduled Tribes in India are afforded various rights, including increased political representation, easier access to seats in schools and government jobs. Meiteis represent around 53% of Manipur’s population, while the Naga and Kuki tribes account for about 40%.

Tensions in the region had been inflamed by the eviction of Kukis from land in Manipur forestlands, leading to several local flashpoints. Objections by the Kuki tribe to Meiteis’ pursuit of Scheduled Tribe status led to ethnic violence.

On Sunday, Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that more than 25 Kuki insurgent groups have signed a ‘suspension of operations’ agreement which is to see them confined to camps designated by the government. Their arsenals of weaponry are to be kept in a locked storage, where they will be “regularly monitored,” the report added.

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