Nil Konsam

The bomb blast at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai on 7 April 2026 took away two tender and innocent souls in their sleep — five year old Oinam Tomthin and his five month old sister Oinam Yaisana — not long after young Tomthin had said to his mother, “Mom, I love you.” Their mother, Oinam Binita, a nurse posted in Guwahati who was on maternity leave, was critically injured in the attack.

The family had gathered at their ancestral home for the weaning ceremony of young Yaisana. Their father, Oinam Mangalngamba, a BSF jawan, had cut short his leave to return to duty in Bihar. Such moments demand not only empathy, but also clarity of thought and responsibility in action.

In the immediate aftermath, anguish and anger were both natural and justified. However, what followed raises serious concerns. Rumours, fear, anger, and apparent communication gaps between the public and the administration have further aggravated the already volatile environment.

It is deeply unfortunate that additional innocent lives were lost and others injured in the aftermath of uncoordinated and uncontrolled protests — including when a mob attempted to storm a nearby CRPF camp, leading to firing by security personnel. Even when unintended, such overreactions can inflict irreversible damage on the very fabric of our foundational constitutional principles.

Responding to violence with more violence, or attempting to bypass constitutional institutions, the government, and established norms, risks compounding the tragedy. These reactions, however emotionally driven, tend to deepen divisions and make an already fragile situation far more complex rather than contribute to resolution.

At the same time, this incident calls for a calm but rigorous examination of security and intelligence systems. The very occurrence of such an attack , a projectile striking a civilian home in the dead of night , suggests gaps, whether in local intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, preventive surveillance, or response preparedness.

These must be acknowledged with honesty and addressed with urgency. Strengthening ground level intelligence, improving coordination between agencies, and ensuring timely, actionable responses are essential — not as an exercise in blame, but as a commitment to preventing recurrence.

Equally concerning has been the emergence of generalised public criticism directed at security forces. While accountability remains fundamental in any democratic system, it must be exercised with care and responsibility. Generalised attacks, particularly in moments of crisis, risk undermining morale, eroding trust, and diverting attention from constructive solutions. A mature society must distinguish between legitimate scrutiny and reactionary condemnation.

Moreover, the cycle of protests, disruptions, and sporadic violence that often follows such incidents, whether motivated or otherwise, has had disproportionate consequences on the most vulnerable sections of society. Daily wage earners lose their livelihoods, school going children face interruptions in education, and the sick and elderly struggle to access essential services. These silent sufferings rarely dominate public discourse, yet they significantly deepen the humanitarian cost of instability.

Community leaders, legislators, and the local administration, including law enforcement agencies, must urgently establish protocol and process driven mechanisms to educate the public, counter rumours, bridge communication gaps, and accelerate the return to normalcy.

Manipur today finds itself in a deeply complex situation — shaped by accumulated grievances, mistrust, and recurring cycles of violence. The pain is real and must be acknowledged with sincerity. Yet, it is equally important to recognise a difficult truth: lasting peace cannot be imposed solely from outside. Governments and institutions must act decisively, fairly, and transparently. But durable normalcy ultimately depends on collective restraint, introspection, and a shared willingness among people to prioritise coexistence over conflict.

The tragedy in Tronglaobi must not become just another episode in a continuing cycle. It should instead serve as a moment of pause — a point from which society chooses responsibility over reaction, discipline over disorder, and dialogue over disruption. The path forward is undoubtedly difficult, but it remains possible if approached with maturity, empathy, and a clear sense of shared responsibility.