Manipur Video: About a dozen people are seen in football kits but they have AK-series and American origin M-series assault rifles in their hands. Red ribbons are tied on the barrels of these guns. People are also seen dancing.

Football players with guns: There has been a period of instability in Manipur for quite some time. Concerns have been raised about the situation there every day. In this episode, a video of a football match has surfaced which has created a stir on social media. In this video, the players are wearing football jerseys but they do not have footballs in their hands but dangerous automatic assault rifles. One of these people is seen carrying two rifles, one hanging on the shoulder and the other in the hand. This video was first posted on Instagram by a social media influencer from Kangpokpi district of Manipur and now it is becoming increasingly viral.  

Gunmen in football kits

In the video, about a dozen people are seen wearing football kits but they are holding AK-series and American origin M-series assault rifles. Red ribbons are tied on the barrels of these guns. According to an NDTV report, this football match was organised at a place called L Nohjang Kipgen Memorial Ground which is said to be in 'Gamnomphai' village located in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. This place is about 30 kilometres away from the capital city, Imphal.  

Who are these gun-wielding players?

The players seen in the video have Sanakhang written on their jerseys while one person's jersey has the name Ginna Kipgen. Wearing a jersey number 15, he is standing with an AK-47. According to the event poster shown in the video, the football match started on January 20. However, social media influencer Nampi Romeo Hansong, who posted this video, later deleted it and uploaded a new video in which the gun-wielding people were removed.  

Growing trouble in Manipur

At the end of the video, armed men wearing green battle fatigues are also seen dancing. A distinctive red logo is visible on their helmets and shoulders, which is often worn by members of the Kuki National Front (P) or KNF-P. KNF-P is a Kuki militant organization active in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. KNF was formed in 1987 and in 1994 it split into two parts, KNF-P and KNF-MC.

Demand for action from the government

According to the report, after the video went viral, an organization of the Meitei community demanded the government to investigate the matter on Twitter. According to them, this may not be just a football tournament but an extremist show of power. They raised the question whether this football tournament was an event organized by the Kuki extremists? 

Manipur has been disturbed for a long time.. Crisis is long 

Violent clashes have been going on between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur since May 2023. Issues like land rights and political representation are at the root of these conflicts. KNF-P is one of the Kuki militant organizations that had signed a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government. Under this agreement, the militants have to live in designated camps and their weapons are kept in a safe place. But now the Manipur government is demanding the end of this agreement, as it is alleged that many militants associated with SoO have been involved in the violence in Manipur. Meanwhile, questions are being raised on the restoration of peace due to such videos.