Mary Kom will leave her hometown of Manipur if fear and violence continue

Five-time boxing world champion Mary Kom has said she may consider moving out Manipur if the fighting continues following an ambush of the Indian Army earlier this month. On 4 June, tribal guerrillas firing rocket-propelled grenades and detonating improvised explosive devices killed 20 soldiers in Manipur. The northwestern state has struggled for years with an armed insurgency in which several tribal militant groups are active. A day later on 5 June, the Indian army launched an operation in Manipur to hunt down the separatist guerrillas who had conducted the deadliest attack on security forces in the state in more than two decades. [caption id=“attachment_2034897” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Mary Kom. Ibn live[/caption] According to the Indian Express , Mary Kom is not convinced things will die down any time soon and very concerned about the recent spate of insurgencies and the rise of fear within the state. “It’s very difficult to decide whether to stay there or shift to some other state. I have my family there and also my academy. But we cannot continue to live in constant fear. If the problem persists, then let’s see, I may leave the state,” Mary said. Security forces have been given sweeping shoot-to-kill powers in ‘disturbed areas’ under the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). As in much of India’s remote and underdeveloped northeast, Manipur has been the scene of recurring strife between ethnic and religious groups since independence from British rule in 1947.