Indian Army Colonel (retired) Nectar Sanjenbam, a decorated soldier awarded by Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra, has been posted as Superintendent of Police (Combat) in Manipur, a northeastern state affected by caste violence. Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam gained recognition for the surgical strike he conducted in Myanmar in June 2015, the day after the attack on soldiers in Manipur’s Chandel district. Eighteen soldiers lost their lives in the Chandel attack.
More than 150 people have died in the violence in Manipur since May this year. Countless people have been injured and a large number of houses and other buildings have been set on fire. More than a dozen people killed and more than 30 have been injured in the recent incidents of violence.
In the last four months, countless people in the state of Manipur have been forced to leave their homes and have not been able to return home till now due to insecurity. Far from home, these victims are living in refugee camps at different places. The government believes that infiltration from the Myanmar border and supply of weapons also play a big role in the violence in Manipur. Colonel Nectar is considered to be an expert in handling such elements and taking effective action against them.
The Governor of Manipur has ordered the appointment of Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam, who has served in the Special Forces 21 Para of the Indian Army, to be posted as Senior Superintendent in Manipur Police for five years. Among the recent decisions taken by the Central Government to help the state government led by Bharatiya Janata Party’s N Biren Singh, which has miserably failed to maintain law and order in Manipur, also includes the appointment of Colonel Nectar. However, according to the information given by the Joint Secretary (Home) of Manipur on August 28, Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam has been appointed after the cabinet decision of June 12.
The factional conflict between the Meitei and Kuki tribals in Manipur is not a new phenomenon, but the reason for the ignition of the current horrific violence was the situation that arose after the Manipur High Court judgement. The court had asked the government to recommend the inclusion of Meitei people in the Scheduled Caste. After this, All Tribals Students Union of Manipur had called for a peaceful protest on 3 May. But this demonstration took a violent turn when Kuki and Meitei groups clashed with each other. These groups indulged in violence in Churachandpur and Vishnupur districts, after which a series of arson and bloodshed started at various places. It took the lives of many and made many homeless. After this, incidents like women being paraded naked and raped started coming to the fore.
