Tear Gas Fired as Manipur Protests Grow Over Tronglaobi Bomb Attack

Security personnel fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the Khurai Lamlong area of Imphal West district on Saturday, as demonstrations demanding justice for the Tronglaobi bomb attack continued to intensify across Manipur.

The protests are linked to a devastating attack on April 7, when suspected militants hurled a bomb at a Meitei family's residence in the Tronglaobi Awang Leikai area of Moirang at around 1:00 AM — while the family was asleep.

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Two Sleeping Children Killed in April 7 Attack

The bomb killed two minor siblings — a five-year-old boy and his five-month-old sister. Their mother sustained injuries in the attack and was later hospitalised.

The incident has since triggered widespread outrage across the state, with residents and civil society groups demanding swift accountability.

Five-Day Shutdown Grips Manipur

The Meira Paibi Lup, a prominent women's organisation also known as the Women Torch Bearers, has imposed a five-day total shutdown across Manipur, with a deadline of April 25 for the government to arrest those responsible.

The impact was visible on the ground — roads, markets, shops, and business establishments remained largely shut across several parts of the state. Commercial vehicles mostly stayed off the roads, with only a handful of private vehicles seen operating.

Family Rejects Government Ex-Gratia, Demands Justice

The children's grandfather, Oinam Babuton, made the family's position clear in a statement on April 15 — they do not want financial compensation. They want justice.

"The government said that they will give us an ex-gratia payment. But we do not want it. We don't approve of it at all," he told ANI.

Babuton noted that police teams, NIA teams, and forensic teams had all visited the site for inspection, but said there had been no concrete outcome so far.

He also confirmed that the children's mother, recently discharged from hospital, had left for her maternal home, unable to remain at the site of the tragedy.

"You cannot compensate for a human life with ex-gratia. Rs 10-20 lakh will not bring back someone... We want justice. We want such incidents to never be repeated in the future," he said.

Investigation Underway, Pressure Mounting

Multiple agencies, including the NIA and state police, are involved in the investigation. However, with no arrests made and the family publicly rejecting the government's relief offer, pressure on authorities is growing by the day.

The Tronglaobi attack has added another layer of grief and anger to a state already strained by prolonged ethnic conflict — and the coming days, with the April 25 deadline looming, are likely to remain tense.