The last journey in Manipur

INTER-TRIBAL disputes leading to violence are not new to Manipur. In 1992-93, a series of clashes erupted among Naga and Kukis in parts of Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong districts. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), a Naga separatist group, considered Kuki settlers in hilly areas as a major hurdle to achieving their goal of ‘Greater Nagalim’. In order to evict Kukis, many villages were set on fire, forcing residents to flee. The Union Government rushed Central forces in order to control the situation.

My unit, 73 CRPF, which had been deployed for a decade in Punjab during the era of militancy, was moved to Churachandpur district, while 67 CRPF was sent to the adjoining Bishnupur district. Security forces brought near normalcy to the affected areas, much to the chagrin of Naga insurgents.

One day in February 1995, it was around 10 am when I heard an explosion that almost shook the area. It made me immediately suspect that security personnel had been ambushed. In the hills, the echo effect makes it difficult to pinpoint the direction from which a blast has originated.

As the officiating Commanding Officer of the unit, I ordered the radio grid supervisor (RGS) to get a report from posts as well as adjoining units of the CRPF and the Manipur Police. As per the standard operating procedure, the quick response team (QRT) was ready to move. Within no time, the RGS informed me that a convoy of 67 CRPF had been ambushed with an explosive device planted in a culvert on a link road near Bishnupur. The explosion site was hardly 5 km from our camp and I rushed with the QRT and additional troops.

On reaching there, we saw a horrifying scene. The front jeep of a convoy of four vehicles proceeding to Imphal had been targeted with an IED (improvised explosive device) when it crossed the culvert. Naga militants had used a nearby abandoned hut to trigger the blast. A dry battery and electric wire were recovered. The militants had fled, taking advantage of the dense wild growth. The front-half of the jeep had been blown away. The driver’s body had landed in a pond adjoining the culvert, and it was partially visible. Another jawan’s body was spotted on the roadside; the legs and the right hand were missing. The troops from 67 CRPF had cordoned off the site and a hunt for militants was going on.

The driver’s body was pulled out of the pond and laid out on a stretcher. The other body was laid out on a sheet. But it took us a while to search for the blown-up parts in the wild growth. One leg with a jungle boot was found. However, the other leg and the right hand had got shattered into pieces. The search party brought the parts and we put together the mortal remains. Thereafter, police paperwork, a post-mortem examination and photography were carried out. In the evening, the martyred soldiers were cremated with full state honours.

Musings