16 Weapons and Ammunition Voluntarily Surrendered in Churachandpur Following Governor's Appeal

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, appealed to members of all communities to surrender looted police weapons and illegally held arms within seven days. He stated that if the weapons were not surrendered, strict action would follow for the possession of arms.

Following this appeal, the Assam Rifles, along with the Police, CRPF, State Intelligence Agencies, and State Administration, engaged with local Kuki community leaders. They addressed their security concerns, provided assurances of safety, and emphasized the positive impact of the region’s de-weaponization. This engagement proved fruitful, as the community leaders volunteered to surrender a significant quantity of arms and ammunition as a stepping stone in the peace process, which has been the Central Government's stance from the beginning.

After discussions with the joint security forces and State Administration, the Kuki community leaders engaged with the local population and brought the first batch of voluntarily surrendered weapons on February 22, 2025, at Tuibong Village, Churachandpur District, Manipur.

The voluntarily surrendered looted and illegal weapons and ammunition include a total of 16 items, such as one M-16 rifle, one 7.62 mm SLR, two AK rifles, three INSAS rifles, two M-79 40mm Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGL), one 9mm Carbine machine gun, one 51 mm mortar, three .303 rifles, two single-barrel rifles, 64 gelatine sticks, ten rounds of 60 mm improvised mortar ammunition, 17 rounds of AK ammunition, 40 rounds of 5.56 mm rifle ammunition, and three 9 mm caliber ammunition. These weapons were surrendered by the Kuki community in the presence of top-ranking officials from the Assam Rifles, CRPF, State Civil Administration, Police, and State Intelligence Agencies of Churachandpur District.

A well-coordinated effort was meticulously planned by the joint forces, including Assam Rifles, Police, State Civil Administration, CRPF, and State Intelligence Agencies. This initiative is expected to motivate other groups to join the peace process, inspiring and encouraging youth to surrender arms and work toward a better future for the region’s overall development, thereby enabling the peace process to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.