Manipur Fortifies Security for Independence Day 2025

Manipur has ramped up security measures across the state, particularly in the capital Imphal, ahead of the 79th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, officials confirmed on Thursday. The heightened alert follows calls for a general strike by several outlawed groups, including the Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK), which declared a 12-hour shutdown to protest the observance of Independence Day, claiming Manipur’s “forced annexation” into India in 1949.

Enhanced deployments of state police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Army, and Assam Rifles personnel have been stationed at key intersections like Keisampat and Moirangkhom in Imphal to ensure public safety. On Wednesday, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) established mobile checkpoints (MCPs) at strategic locations, inspecting 443 vehicles and frisking 722 individuals to deter potential threats, according to a CRPF post on X.

Preparations for the celebrations are in full swing, with CRPF, police, Assam Rifles, and students rehearsing for the march past at the 1st Manipur Rifles ground and district headquarters. The state’s efforts come amid recent security operations that recovered significant caches of weapons, including 328 firearms in June 2025, underscoring ongoing tensions with militant groups.

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Authorities remain vigilant, with senior police emphasizing their commitment to a safe and successful Independence Day despite boycott calls and a history of ethnic violence in the region, which has claimed over 160 lives since May 2023.

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