Manipur Violence Prompts Consideration of 'One Force, One District' Policy for Enhanced Coordination

The Manipur government is considering the implementation of a "one district, one force" policy to improve coordination and security operations in response to the ongoing ethnic violence that has plagued the northeastern state since May 3. According to an anonymous security official in Delhi, this arrangement would assign personnel from a single paramilitary force to maintain law and order in each district, with the primary aim of enhancing accountability and reducing potential conflicts among the various forces involved.

Under the proposed plan, a unified command led by security advisor Kuldiep Singh is expected to reorganize security personnel throughout the state to align with the "one district, one force" approach. The idea behind this strategy is to ensure that a specific force is responsible for all activities within a given district, thereby streamlining coordination efforts. It is likely that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which has a larger contingent of personnel, may be assigned to multiple districts. All paramilitary forces would collaborate closely with the state police in this endeavor.

At present, Manipur hosts over 200 companies from various paramilitary forces, and the region has witnessed a significant loss of life, with at least 175 casualties resulting from the ongoing ethnic tensions between the Meiteis and Kukis. Multiple security agencies, including the CRPF, Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Assam Rifles, and the army, have been working in conjunction with the state police to restore peace and normalcy.

The deployment of forces would likely be based on the existing offices or camps established by these forces within each district. Manipur consists of 16 administrative districts, and even before the outbreak of violence, several companies from the CRPF and army were stationed in the state. Notably, the CRPF has the highest number of personnel among the paramilitary forces stationed in Manipur.

As of now, no official statement from the Manipur government has been issued regarding this potential policy change.

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