Reuters/bdnews24.com(Bangladesh), September 21, 2024

India's northeastern state of Manipur has been placed onhigh alert after intelligence reports of a potential influx of 900 suspectedKuki militants from Myanmar, a senior security official said on Friday.

An organisation that represents the Kuki community, however,denied the security official's allegations and called for his resignation.

Kuldiep Singh, Manipur's security adviser, told reportersthe information regarding the militants had been shared with variousintelligence agencies.

Since May 2023, Manipur has been embroiled in violencebetween the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities, driven by disputesover economic benefits and quotas.

"The border police have been alerted, and combingoperations are underway," he said, adding that hill districts, home toKuki tribes, were put under heightened vigilance.

Denying there had been an influx of Kuki militants fromMyanmar, the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), the main body representing thecommunity in the state, accused the security adviser of spreading falseinformation about the community while failing to ensure their safety.

"We no longer feel secure under his leadership...wewould like to call for his resignation," a KSO statement said.

The Kuki people, residing in southern Manipur, share ethnicties with the Chin tribe in Myanmar.

The latest intelligence follows reports of attacks involvingexplosives delivered by drones that officials allege were carried out by Kukimilitants. Kuki representatives have denied the attacks were carried out bypeople in their community.

In response to the attacks, Meitei protesters have heldlarge gatherings in Imphal, demanding action against Kuki militants.

Despite efforts to quell the unrest, sporadic clashespersist, with the latest violence resulting in 11 deaths earlier this month.Since May of last year, the conflict has resulted in at least 237 deaths anddisplaced over 60,000 people in Manipur, which is home to 3.2 million people.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedlyattributed the violence to an influx of refugees following Myanmar's 2021military coup.

Last year, the government revoked a long-standing policypermitting visa-free movement along the 1,650-km (1,000-mile) porous border,and announced plans to construct a border fence at a projected cost of 310billion rupees ($3.71 billion).

These measures have drawn criticism from Kuki groups due totheir ties across the border.

Manipur remains divided into two ethnic enclaves - aMeitei-controlled valley and Kuki-dominated hills - separated by a no-man'sland monitored by federal paramilitary forces.

Photo: Demonstratorsattend a protest march to demand an end to the latest spurt of ethnic violence,in Imphal, Manipur, India, September 10, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer