New Delhi: In yet another instance of lawlessness in Manipur, senior Imphal-based journalist and special correspondent of The Statesman newspaper, Laba Yambem, was abducted by gunmen said to be from the United National Liberation Front (Pambei group) from his residence in the capital city of Manipur in the early hours of Tuesday, February 11.
According to a Facebook post by The Frontier Manipur quoting family members, the incident occurred at around 3.30 am. “Family members said the armed persons broke into his residence and took him away at gunpoint,” the post said.
In the afternoon though, Laba was released by the group after he agreed to give a video “clarification” saying that he should not have said anything offensive against UNLF (Pambei) at a discussion aired on Northeast Windows on the evening of February 10.
A screengrab of Northeast Windows’ post on the show in which Laba Yambem appeared.
In the TV discussion around the topic of “New Chief Minister or President’s Rule”, Laba had supported Biren’s exit and is understood to have stated that under his support, militants under suspension of operation (SoO) have gone amok. UNLF (Pambei) had signed a peace agreement with the government in 2023, during the thick of the ethnic conflict. The group, the first militant group from the Meitei community to do so, is understood to be close to Biren Singh. Some members of the group, have, however, been arrested later by National Investigating Agency (NIA) for their alleged complicity in the violence.
Two days ago, unidentified gunmen had also fired at Laba’s residence and allegedly asked him to remove a Facebook post in which he had criticised some armed groups of Manipur. This was the third time his house was fired at by gunmen.
In September 2024, unidentified gunmen had also attacked his residence in Imphal West. According to a statement issued by Laba then, “The assailants arrived in a four-wheeler vehicle at my residence located in Uripok Yamben Leikai, Imphal, within Imphal police station limits. The gunmen fired about 10 rounds, five of which hit the parapet outside my bedroom. They used INSAS rifles, the type of weapon which is issued only to the Central and security forces.”
Laba is the former acting president of Manipur Human Rights Commission. He had also formed a political outfit – the Good Governance Party – in August 2024. About that attack, he had told Newslaundry, that it “is political”.
In May 2024 too, unidentified gunmen had attacked a house that belongs to him in the Heignang area of the state. Laba was then away at Delhi for work.
Laba, 69, has been a known critic of Biren Singh during the ethnic conflict. He has been writing on social media and in news columns that Biren’s removal was necessary to save Manipur from the ethnic violence and to bring peace in the state.
This past October, Laba was arrested by Manipur Police in a case of alleged criminal intimidation. According to an Indian Express report then, a woman complainant had alleged that one of Laba’s close associates threatened her using a licensed pistol belonging to Laba. The police, which reports to Biren Singh, who was also the state home minister, booked Laba for attempt to murder and criminal intimidation among other offences under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. Laba was later released on bail. On release, he told this correspondent, “A false case was filed against me by state police to harass me as I have recently said that Biren needs to go to save Manipur because he is less important than Manipur.”
On February 10, barely a day after Biren had to tender his resignation at the behest of the Union government, Laba took to Facebook to share a news analysis published in The Statesman of the political uncertainty in Manipur. He wrote: “Time To Rebuild Manipur Again. Goodbye my friend, you had gunmen fired three times at my residence and had 30 odd machine gun wielding gentlemen who had at one time vowed to liberate Manipur descend at my house at night to force me to delete a Facebook post. But God is great, Allah Ho Akbar and I hope he and the people of Manipur forgive you. I, of course, as an old friend forgive you.”
The Statesman article, written before Biren’s resignation, referred to his visit to the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad. It said, “However, a dip in the Holy Ganga or not, time is running out fast for CM Biren Singh, the man who will go on record for having administered the Indian State of Manipur under the Constitution of India with the help of non-state actors. A Banana Republic almost.”
In the audio tape being investigated by the Supreme Court, the voice said to be of Biren Singh did claim that he had merged banned militant groups with Manipur Police commandos to carry out violence during the ethnic conflict. Large numbers of sophisticated arms and ammunition were allowed to be looted from police armoury by radical groups during the Biren administration. A large number of those weapons are yet to be recovered.
On February 10, Laba posted the news of Biren’s resignation saying, “Good morning friends. Goodybe Shriman Ji & Madhavpur ki BHEISNOB (Vaishnav)”. He was referring to a controversial speech by Biren in 2018 at Madhavpur Mela, a religio-cultural fair in Gujarat’s Porbandar claiming that “In the time of Lord Krishna, there was no separate Arunachal Pradesh or Assam or Manipur. The entire Northeast was one entity. Now Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland are on the border of China. But Lord Krishna made them part of India during his time.”
Considered a fearless journalist, Laba has also recently filed a case on phone tapping with the National Human Rights Commission of India.
