Three Kuki men were killed in a fresh exchange of gunfire between unidentified armed groups in Manipur’s Noney district on Saturday, even as thousands of people, including members of Meitei and Naga organisations, held a rally in Imphal demanding the scrapping of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki-Zo armed groups and greater protection for local communities.
Sporadic gunfire between unidentified groups suspected to belong to the Naga and Kuki communities had been reported in the area since October 29, said police, adding that Saturday’s incident was the first in three days to result in fatalities.
The firing took place around 10am at Kekru Naga village under Nungba police station, officials aware of the matter said.
No untoward incident was reported, said a senior police officer. Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), a Kuki apex body, accused the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and the Zeliangrong United Front-Kamson (ZUF-K) of responsibility for the killings. The high-turnout demonstration comes on the heels of a recent flare-up in tensions involving both groups and the Kuki-Zo community. They demanded the termination of the SoO agreement with Kuki-Zo armed groups and rehabilitation of families displaced by the ethnic conflict. The rally was jointly organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), United Naga Council (UNC), Joint Tribes Council (JTC), Foot Hills Naga Coordinating Committee (FNCC), Naga People Union, Imphal (NPUI), Naga Humanitarian Aid Committee Manipur (NHACM), Manipur Naga Youth Organisation (MNYO), All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), and people from the hills and valley. Police put up barricades at Keisampat junction, near Lok Bhavan, the chief minister’s office and the BJP state office, preventing the procession from moving further. They also sought the deployment of a neutral security force along the India-Myanmar border. It called for the dismantling of designated camps, seizure of weapons and action against cadres accused of violating the agreement’s ground rules. Another resolution sought the replacement of the Assam Rifles along the India-Myanmar border with a neutral, professionally trained force to prevent infiltration, trafficking and other cross-border crimes. They called for the government’s resignation if she was not removed. Naga organisations have accused Kipgen’s husband, Thangboi Kipgen, chairman of the Kuki National Front-Presidential faction, of involvement in civilian killings. Deputy chief minister Losii Dikho has also made the allegation. The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) also held a parallel rally in Kangpokpi, citing threats to civilian lives and continued injustice against the Kuki-Zo community.
Meanwhile, a massive rally, jointly organised by the Meitei and Naga communities, swept through Imphal on Saturday in what was arguably one of the largest public gatherings in Manipur since ethnic violence erupted in 2023. It came days after militants ambushed 14 Meitei men, killing three of them, sparking protests in the state. The conflict between Meitei and Kuki communities has claimed at least 306 lives so far, while clashes between Kuki and Naga groups have killed around 50 people since February. The convention demanded that the SoO arrangement, which expired on September 24, not be extended under any circumstances. The organisations also demanded permanent rehabilitation of internally displaced people (IDPs) since May 3, 2023, with adequate security, restoration of properties and livelihood support to enable their return. The groups also demanded implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), with 1951 as the base year, and the removal of deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen from the cabinet. It extended a total shutdown across the district by another 24 hours, citing the failure to secure the safe recovery of two missing Kuki civilians.
Security forces have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order, according to police. The three men have been identified as Thanglensang Singson, Thangkhosei Haokip and Lamminsang Kipgen, all residents of villages in Churachandpur district, police said. It said the three men were village volunteers. “The murder of these three brave village volunteers in Noney district is the direct consequence of the state’s reckless refusal to provide adequate security to vulnerable Kuki-Zo communities,” the organisation said in a statement. Four automatic assault rifles, a single-barrel rifle, a drone, ammunition and improvised explosives were recovered from the site, according to police. Officials said the march began at Tiddim Ground and concluded at Thangmeiband Athletic Union (THAU) ground in Imphal West. At a public convention held at THAU ground, participants adopted a six-point resolution demanding an immediate end to what they described as the Centre’s “proxy war” and its support for “narco-terrorism”. “Today, after three and a half years of crisis in Manipur, the indigenous people of the state, particularly the 21-22 tribes of the Nagas, the Meitei communities and several other ethnic groups, have come together to raise their voice against the government of India,” said Khuraijam Athouba, a former COCOMI convener. Athouba accused the Centre of failing to protect lives and property and said the agitation would continue until the demands were addressed. At a National Unity Day event in Imphal, chief minister Y Khemchand Singh said community-centric thinking could not ensure peace or economic progress. “A state cannot be governed by prioritising the interest of only one community,” he said.
It had earlier advised Kuki-Zo people against travelling beyond Kuki-inhabited areas of Sadar Hills.
