An influential Kuki organisation in strife-torn Manipur has urged state government employees in Churchandpur district to refrain from work from Monday over suspension of a police head constable last week after he was seen with armed men in a viral video.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) had on Friday issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding to revoke the suspension order and replacement of deputy commissioner Dharun Kumar and police superintendent Sivanand Surve.
At least two people were killed and over a dozen others were injured in police action after a mob upset over suspension of the policeman had stormed an office complex in Churanchanpur on Thursday evening and damaged the DC’s office and set several vehicles on fire.
“More than 24 hours have passed since the ITLF gave an ultimatum to cancel the suspension order of head constable Siamlalpaul and replace Churachandpur SP and DC, but so far no cancellation or replacement has been done,” ITLF said in a statement.
“State government employees should refrain from going to office...it will be their sole responsibility if any untoward incident happens,” it added.
ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong confirmed the development and said that the directive is not for central government employees.
{{/usCountry}}ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong confirmed the development and said that the directive is not for central government employees.
{{/usCountry}}Manipur government spokesperson and health minister Sapam Ranjan Singh didn’t respond to calls seeking his response.
On Saturday, chief minister N Biren Singh had condemned the violence in Churachandpur and said that a case had been lodged against one person for threatening to kill the SP.
Following the violence on Thursday night, Manipur government on Friday reimposed curfew indefinitely and suspended internet services for five days in the Churachandpur district.
The mob numbering several hundred were upset with the suspension of the head constable from the Kuki community. In the suspension order, SP Surve had mentioned that the policeman was seen with “armed village volunteers”, which was “grave misconduct” by a member of a “disciplined police force”.
In a statement on Friday, ITLF had stated, “If the suspension of the head constable is not cancelled within 24 hours and if the SP and DC don’t leave the district within 24 hours, all government offices shall be closed.”
Since May 2023, Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic violence between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis, with other communities increasingly sucked into the violence that has continued unabated.
Over the past nine months, at least 212 people have lost their lives, and over 50,000 people have been displaced. The fallout of the long-running ethnic hostilities has meant that the Meiteis, who live largely in the plains of the Imphal valley