Imphal: Cadres of the Pambei-led United National Liberation Front (UNLF-P), which signed a peace agreement with the govt in Nov 2023, were shifted Tuesday from their camp at Nongshum in Imphal to their designated camp at Ingourok in Thoubal district.Around 80 cadres stationed at Nongshum were relocated amid stiff opposition by local residents, triggering protests led by local women who blocked the road to the camp in an attempt to stop the movement.From early Tuesday morning, women from Nongshum and nearby villages, including Uyumpok in Khundrakpam constituency, blocked the approach road. A large contingent of state police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other central security forces dispersed the protesters by firing teargas shells, during which around five women sustained injuries.Nongshum and surrounding villages have remained highly vulnerable since the Meitei-Kuki-Zo conflict began in May 2023. Residents argued that the presence of the cadres had provided a sense of security in one of the state’s most vulnerable fringe areas.Dozens of villagers gathered near the camp and appealed to authorities not to move the cadres, saying their deployment had reassured people living close to the conflict-affected zone and warning that the withdrawal could expose the area to renewed security risks.Officials said the shift was required under existing ground rules after the peace agreement and stressed that cadres must remain only at officially designated locations. The designated camps for the UNLF-P are at Kakching Khunou in Kangching district and Ingourok in Thoubal district.Security forces and district administration officials supervised the relocation, and authorities said adequate security arrangements would continue in the area. Personnel of the 10th IRB were stationed in Nongshum ahead of the relocation.
