The disappearance of a 20-year-old youth, Luwangthem Mukesh, from Imphal West district on Sunday afternoon prompted the Republican Party of India (Athawale) to seek the intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah, claiming the incident has not only “escalated” tension but could also lead to “further unrest” in the strife-hit state.
A protest was held in Imphal West by Imagi Meira, an influential women’s group, on Tuesday, asking why security forces were not able to recover Mukesh even after 24 hours of filing the missing report. They also marched to the chief secretary’s office to submit a representation.
Police had on Tuesday morning said an inquiry was initiated on receiving the missing person report for Luwangthem Mukesh, hailing from Keishampat Leimjam under Imphal district. The missing report was filed on Monday.
While RPI (Athawale) national secretary Maheshwar had on Monday urged the police to trace him at the earliest, Khumanthem Borish Singh, president of the party’s Delhi youth wing, submitted a representation to the MHA on Tuesday to draw Shah’s attention to the “abduction” of Mukesh “by suspected Kuki militants” who “reportedly captured” him in the Jouzangtek area in Noney district.
“This incident has caused widespread distress and threatens the state’s fragile security. The boy’s abduction on March 16, 2025, has escalated tension in a region already affected by ongoing conflicts. This act by militants adds to the uncertainty and could lead to further violence and unrest in the state. The people of Manipur are in panic, and the abducted boy’s family is in deep distress, urgently seeking intervention for his safe release,” Borish said.
“Your leadership and prompt response can make a crucial difference in restoring peace and preventing any further deterioration of the situation... I trust that you will take swift and effective steps to address this pressing concern,” the RPI representation said.
Police have, however, not mentioned any abduction angle in its statement.