Violence erupts again in Manipur, four including pregnant woman killed
On Sunday, unknown gunmen killed four members of the Kuki-Zo community in two separate attacks in Manipur.
In Manipur on Sunday, unidentified gunmen killed four people from the Kuki-Jo community in two separate attacks. The deceased include a couple and a pregnant woman. A six-year-old child was injured in the attack.
According to a report by The Telegraph, the first attack occurred early in the remote Kuki-Jo village of L. Tolen in the Naga-majority Tamenglong district. The gunmen stormed the village and shot dead Lingjangai Singsit and her husband Senah Singsit. The couple's six-year-old son Henmisanang was injured in the attack and has been taken to Silchar in Assam for treatment. His two elder brothers are safe.
The second attack took place in the afternoon in Longpi village of Noney district, which borders Tamenglong. According to a leader from the Kuki-Jo community, Roel Gangte and Julie Singson had gone out for household chores when they were ambushed. Both died on the spot. Obed Singson from the Western Village Volunteers reported that Julie was pregnant.
It is noteworthy that,
the Kuki-Jo community observes ‘Sahanit Ni’ or ‘Kuki Black Day’ every year on September 13. This day commemorates the members of the community who were killed in the Kuki-Naga conflict that began in 1993. Kuki-Jo organizations claim that at least 1,157 people from the community were killed during the violence that lasted from 1993 to 1997. It is reported that on September 13, 1993 alone, 115 Kuki-Jo people were killed. The National Socialist Council of Nagalim—Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) militants have been accused of these killings. These incidents occurred in the Naga-majority districts of Tamenglong and Senapati in Manipur.
More than 200 people from the Naga community also lost their lives in this conflict. The struggle was ignited due to conflicting territorial claims between the two communities. However, the number of deaths and displacements on the Kuki side has been higher. The L. Tolen village, which was attacked on Sunday, is located about 162 kilometers from Imphal and 30 kilometers from Silchar. This village is situated near National Highway-37, which connects both cities. Official sources confirmed the attack and stated that additional security forces have been deployed in the area.
The L. Tolen village authority condemned the attack on their “peaceful village” and held two Naga militant organizations—NSCN-IM and ZUF-K—responsible. The authority alleged that,
this attack is a “planned and deliberate attempt” to terrorize and displace Kuki-Jo villagers from their ancestral land and aims to fulfill the NSCN-IM's agenda of ‘Greater Nagalim’.
The NSCN-IM has been in peace talks with the central government since 1997. The organization has been demanding the creation of a unified ‘Nagalim’ that includes Naga-majority areas of Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Myanmar.
Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam oppose this demand. Since the ambush and murder of three Kuki-Jo church leaders on May 13 in Kangkpokpi district, unidentified attackers have killed at least 25 Kuki-Jo and Naga civilians. Naga organizations and legislators are demanding justice for six Naga individuals who were killed after being abducted in Kangkpokpi on May 13. Both communities blame militant organizations that support each other for the violence.
The murders on Sunday have once again highlighted the fragile security situation in the hilly areas.
These regions are primarily inhabited by the Kuki-Jo and Naga communities. The state is already grappling with the effects of the Meitei-Kuki violence that began on May 3, 2023. The L. Tolen village authority has demanded the deployment of adequate central security forces in the village and surrounding Kuki areas. They have also appealed for the registration of an FIR, an independent and transparent investigation, and the arrest of the culprits.
The authority has urged the central government, the National Human Rights Commission, and other relevant authorities to “intervene immediately before more innocent lives are lost.” The village authority of the Naga village of Kaimai also condemned the attack, describing it as an attempt to divide the communities.
Kuki Inpi Jiri, Tamenglong, and Noney stated that,
the attack occurred “just a few hundred meters” away from the security forces deployed in the area. The organization has demanded that the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a fair and comprehensive investigation. The organization has given the government 24 hours to take concrete action. They have also announced a 24-hour economic blockade, warning that if their demands are not met, an indefinite shutdown will be called.