- These killings add to Manipur’s continuing ethnic violence.
Fresh tensions gripped Manipur’s Kangpokpi district after the mutilated bodies of two missing Kuki men were recovered from neighbouring Senapati district, triggering protests and clashes with security forces. Police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged protesters after they allegedly pelted security personnel with stones, officials said on Monday.
The protests erupted in several parts of Kangpokpi on Sunday night, with agitators burning tyres and blocking roads with logs of wood and boulders. Police managed to clear some of the blocked stretches, but tension remained high in the district on Monday morning, prompting the deployment of additional security forces, news agency PTI reported.
According to the report, a protester sustained a head injury after allegedly being hit by a tear gas shell. His condition is stable, police said.
Bodies Of 2 Missing Kuki Men Found In Banana Farm
The victims, identified as T Chongloi (21) and Paoginlal Hangsing (20), had gone missing from Taphou Kuki village on October 29. Their mutilated bodies were found stuffed in gunny bags in a banana farm in a hilly stretch of Senapati district on Sunday morning.
According to officials, joint teams of the police, CRPF and Assam Rifles had been conducting search operations along the boundary of Kangpokpi and Senapati districts to trace the missing youths. A police officer said the bodies were recovered during one such operation, PTI reported.
In a statement, Manipur Police said an extensive search operation was conducted by joint teams comprising the state police, CoBRA, CRPF, Assam Rifles and Rapid Action Force in the general area east of National Highway 2, along the SP Road. The hilly stretch connects Senapati and Kangpokpi districts.
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Deputy CMs Condemn Killings; Naga Organisation Seeks Independent Probe
Deputy Chief Ministers Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho condemned the killings and called for an investigation.
In a statement, Kipgen said, “What began with hopes of safe return ended in tragedy.” She demanded a thorough investigation into the killings and said those responsible must be brought to justice.
Dikho, meanwhile, said, “Such senseless acts of violence and killing must be condemned unequivocally. The ongoing violence in our state is unacceptable. No grievances or disagreements can ever justify taking a human life.”
The Naga People’s Organisation (NPO), however, questioned the circumstances surrounding the recovery of the bodies and called for an impartial investigation.
NPO president Kuba Peter told reporters, “We condemn any killing, but we also equally condemn any manipulation of evidence or deliberate attempt to inflame communal tensions. We demand an impartial, transparent and independent investigation to establish the truth, ensure accountability and prevent further communal tensions.”
COTU Demands Losii Dikho’s Resignation
The Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) has demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho over the incident. It has also sought the transfer of Taphou Kuki village from the jurisdiction of the Senapati Superintendent of Police to the Kangpokpi SP, PTI reported.
The committee said the bodies would not be taken to the village for the final rites until the perpetrators were arrested.
Fresh Killings Add To Manipur’s Continuing Violence
The recovery of the two bodies comes amid continuing violence in Manipur. On Saturday, three people belonging to the Kuki community were killed in a gunfight between rival armed groups in Noney district. Their bodies reached Churachandpur district on Sunday night.
More than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses burnt across Tamenglong, Noney, Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts since ethnic clashes between Kuki and Naga communities broke out in February this year.
Manipur had earlier witnessed widespread ethnic violence between Meiteis based in the Imphal Valley and Kukis in the adjoining hill districts. More than 300 people were killed, 49 remained missing and thousands were displaced in the violence.
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