Manipur Unrest: Meira Paibis ask Jawan from Assam to produce ID

The soldiers in olive green are having to go through real difficult times in riot- torn Manipur. A viral video depicts the plight of our troops in the Imphal Valley. A group of Meira Paibis are seen in this video repeatedly asking an Assamese soldier with the surname Gogoi his name.

The soldier says he is Gogoi but the women vigilantes asks for his Aadhar Card. Were these women doubting Gogoi to be a Kuki? One doesn’t know but the features of Gogoi, obviously an Ahom from Assam, resembles a tribal and that could be the reason for these women vigilantes repeatedly asking for his name and demanding to see his Aadhar card.

An Officer was heard asking the women why they were unable to conclude who the soldier could be by looking at his features.

During the entire period that these women vigilantees were questioning them over Gogoi’s identity, the troops maintained calm and exercised maximum restraint.

The point here is, is it not enough that these men are wearing the Indian Army or the Indian security forces’ uniform, protecting us and our nation? It is no secret now that the Manipur Police is divided on ethnic lines. One would expect the people to leave the central forces to do their duty, that of maintaining law and order. It is quite possible that responsible civil society groups in the Imphal Valley may have already advised all vigilantees not to repeat such actions.

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