The women's wing of the Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee on Thursday appealed for the safe and immediate release of six people, including women and children, abducted from Manipur's Jiribam.

In a statement, the Meitei women leaders demanded immediate and serious intervention from the highest levels of government for the release of the abducted persons, saying if the abductees were harmed, it could be seen as tacit endorsement by the authorities concerned.

This may deepen public mistrust and fuel perceptions that the government is "complicit in perpetuating violence for political ends, including the potential division of Manipur along ethnic lines", they said.

The women leaders said failure to secure the release of the abductees would not only "signal an erosion of the Indian state's moral and protective authority but also raise grave questions about the purpose and implications of continued support under the suspension of operations framework".

"The government must recognise that the safety of these women and children is not just a humanitarian concern but a test of its commitment to peace and unity in Manipur," they said.

Thus, the women leaders said, the immediate and unwavering involvement of the home minister and the prime minister was imperative to demonstrate the government's stance on protecting the vulnerable, maintaining public trust, and preventing further escalation of conflict.

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