Manipur witnessed renewed violence on Thursday as a mob attack on a government compound in Churachandpur resulted in the deaths of two individuals. Triggered by the suspension of a tribal police officer, the mob stormed the complex, igniting clashes and arson. Security forces responded with gunfire, leaving several injured in addition to the fatalities.
People aware of the matter said the collector’s residence was burnt along with vehicles of the security forces parked near the compound known as the mini secretariat. The attack prompted the state government to suspend cellular data services in the Kuki-majority Churachandpur district for five days.
As fierce gunfights continued on Thursday in Sugnu – where Imphal East meets the hills of Naga-dominated Chandel – the district’s apex Naga body decided to deploy its own “volunteers” on highways to “guard their area”.
Amidst this, the Chandel Naga Peoples Organisation (CNPO) – the apex body of Naga tribes in Chandel and Tengnoupal districts – ordered the deployment of volunteers on “strategic points” along the highway. While these districts have Kuki-Zomi populations, the Nagas are the largest ethnic group there.
David Boyes, the president of the CNPO, told that they have decided to station women, along with village chiefs, along the highways leading from both Pallel and Sugnu to the district headquarters to check vehicles and prevent movement of armed Kukis or Meiteis into the area. He claimed that these would be unarmed civilians located only along the highway at “main entries” to Naga areas.
This incident exacerbates existing ethnic tensions in the state, which have simmered since May 2023. The suspension of the officer, belonging to the Kuki community, sparked outrage, with allegations of biased treatment compared to similar incidents involving Meitei officers. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) demanded action and threatened a shutdown, further fueling unrest.
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