Manipur is once again plunged into mourning following the tragic events of April 7, 2026. In the early hours around 1:05 AM, a rocket-propelled grenade struck a sleeping family home in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai village near Moirang in Bishnupur district.
The projectile, allegedly fired by Kuki militants from the nearby fields, pierced the walls of the bedroom and exploded with devastating force. A five-year-old boy and his five-month-old baby sister were killed instantly. Their mother sustained serious injuries while trying to shield her children.
This was not an isolated clash between Kuki armed groups; it was a deliberate attack on unarmed civilians, including toddlers, in the dead of night.
Reports indicate further violence, with additional three unarmed civilians shot dead and injuring many by CRPF in related incidents. The use of heavy weaponry like RPGs against civilian settlements marks a dangerous escalation.
Such barbarity cannot be dismissed as routine “ethnic tension” or responded to with standard protocols. The people of Manipur have endured enough hollow assurances. Peace cannot be built on condolences, hospital visits, or vague commitments to “identify the culprits and take action as per law.”
The hard truth is that peace without power is meaningless. When leaders speak of peace initiatives but lack the iron will and operational strength to enforce them, violence becomes inevitable.
History teaches us repeatedly that mere rhetoric invites aggression from those who interpret restraint as weakness. To be a genuine peacemaker, one must possess the capacity and determination to punish those who deliberately sabotage peace. Without that backbone, calls for harmony remain empty slogans that fail to deter Kuki militants.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh assumed office on February 4, 2026, after a prolonged period of President’s Rule. He took charge with the trust of a large section of the population, particularly in the valley, who believed his leadership, political network, and experience could bridge divides and restore normalcy.
However, barely two months into his tenure, fresh bloodshed has shattered any fragile sense of progress. External forces and militant actions challenge the very fabric of coexistence, targeting innocent valley dwellers
Imposing curfews and shutting down internet services in the valley may help control immediate unrest on the streets, but such measures do nothing to address the root cause. They merely suppress the legitimate anger and grief of common citizens who have lost children, siblings, and neighbours.
The fire inside every grieving family cannot be extinguished by administrative restrictions. It can only be addressed through visible, uncompromising justice.
The time for “forget and forgive” has long passed. After years of ethnic violence that has claimed hundreds of lives, displaced thousands, and destroyed properties on both sides, continued one-sided restraint only emboldens perpetrators.
Every fresh attack on civilians derails whatever peace talks or confidence-building measures may be underway. Each incident deepens the cycle of mistrust and revenge. Manipur cannot afford another decade of managed conflict.
The state needs a clear message: those who destroy peace will face real, swift, and proportionate consequences.
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh must not consider resignation on moral grounds, no matter how intense the public pressure or political criticism becomes. Resignation at this juncture would be an escape from duty, not a demonstration of ethics.
The greater moral imperative is to shoulder responsibility and act with the resolve of a commander leading from the front. Like a brave general in the face of adversity, he must direct security forces to go into the hills, hunt down the perpetrators of the Tronglaobi attack and similar incidents, and ensure they are punished.
This is not a call for indiscriminate action or revenge. It is a demand for the rule of law to be enforced without fear or favour. Coordinated operations should be intensified.
Any militant group or individual found involved in targeting civilians must be treated as enemies of peace.The people of Manipur, particularly in the valley, have repeatedly shown they stand ready to support strong and decisive leadership. What they seek now is not another round of political statements or all-party meetings that yield little on the ground.
They want tangible results, to capture or elimination of those firing RPGs at sleeping children, the dismantling of terror infrastructure in the hills, and the restoration of a sense of security for ordinary families.
Shutting down Internet in the valley alone or imposing curfews might buy temporary calm, but it cannot suppress the collective demand for justice. Every parent who puts their child to bed tonight wonders if the hills will remain silent or rain death again.
Every citizen feels the frustration of watching perpetrators escape accountability while the state appears reactive rather than proactive.
Chief Minister, the mantle of leadership you accepted in February carries heavy responsibilities. You pledged peace and development for all communities. That pledge can only be honoured if peace is backed by enforceable power. Demonstrating strength now is not warmongering; it is the only realistic path to eventual reconciliation.
Without deterring those who derail initiatives through violence, no dialogue can succeed. Therefore, punish those responsible for the attacks. Show the state’s iron will to protect its citizens. Restore faith that destroyers of peace will not go unpunished.
The common citizens stand with leadership that chooses duty over despair. They are prepared to back firm measures that prioritise justice and long-term stability. This is not the moment to step back or seek moral high ground through resignation.
It is the moment to lead courageously, coordinate effectively with the Centre, and deliver results on the ground. Only such decisive steps can pave the way for a future where every child sleeps safely, where peace initiatives carry real weight, and where Manipur moves beyond cycles of violence toward genuine healing and progress.
The people are watching. They expect their Chief Minister to act like the strong leader the times demand.Manipur demands justice today. Act now — hunt, punish, and secure the peace that has so far remained elusive.
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