Manipur University Halts as Campus Protests Bomb Threat to Faculty

Normal academic and administrative operations at Manipur University came to a grinding halt on Friday, October 23, 2026, as hundreds of students, teachers, and staff members launched a mass campus protest.

The action follows a terrifying incident on October 20, when an unidentified miscreant attempted to hurl a live hand grenade at the Singjamei residence of Professor Chinglen Maisnam, a prominent faculty member in the Department of South East Asian Studies.

Fortunately, the device failed to detonate, and Imphal West district police later apprehended a 35-year-old suspect at the scene.

The Manipur University Teachers' Association (MUTA) led a joint sit-in protest from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the campus Traffic Island, backed heavily by officer, staff, and student unions. Demonstrators carried placards demanding an end to terrorism targeting educators.

"Let us stand united for peace, security, and academic freedom. Let knowledge explode, not bombs," MUTA stated in a collective call to action.

Expressing deep anxiety over campus safety, Manipur University Students' Union President L. Sanathoi warned of the broader fallout, stating, “A threat to a teacher is a threat to education.” University bodies are urgently demanding that state authorities implement rigorous security measures to shield the academic fraternity from ongoing intimidation.

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