Manipur: 3 village volunteers killed in fresh violence

Three local village volunteers were killed in a fresh violence which broke out in Bishnupur district of Manipur, police said on Sunday

New Delhi/Imphal: In a fresh violence in ethnic clashes-hit Manipur, at least three people were killed after unidentified miscreants opened fire on village volunteers in Bishnupur district, police said on Sunday.

Three people were killed by unidentified miscreants in fresh violence in Bishnupur district of Manipur. (ANI)

The incident took place at Khoijumantabi village, situated on the boundary of Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts, a little past midnight on Sunday, the Manipur Police said in a statement.

“Today at about 00.05 hours (12.05am) unknown miscreants coming from adjoining hills fired at the village volunteers stationed at Khoijumantabi Hills, Bishnupur district,” the statement read.

Three local village volunteers were killed in the firing, after which an operation was launched by police forcing the armed miscreants to flee, the police said. The village volunteers were in a bunker manning the main route to prevent intrusion of outsiders into the village.

Following the incident, the 12-hour curfew relaxation in Bishnupur was curtained to five hours. “Curfew was curtained from 5 am at 10 am,” the state government said in a statement.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, along with security personnel, visited the spot and took stock of the situation.

At least 120 people have been killed, over 300 injured and nearly 40,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state between numerically dominant Meitei community — which forms 53% of the state population — and tribal communities, especially Kukis, who live primarily in the hill districts.

Meanwhile, the police said that five civilians, allegedly detained by villagers in Gwaltabi and Urangpat areas under Yaingangpokpi police station a day ago, were rescued by security forces and handed over to the officer-in-charge of Yaingangpokpi on Sunday.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) condemned the attack on tribal villages, adding that five villagers have been kidnapped. “This reprehensible act further highlights the urgent need for immediate action to ensure the safety and security of the tribal communities in Outer Manipur,” the top tribal group said in a statement, calling for President’s rule in the state.

Sunday’s incident was the second big killing in the week, after two village volunteers were killed in Senjam Chirang, on the boundary of Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts, on Thursday.

Protesting Thursday’s incident and taking strong exception to the government’s failure to stop violence, women vendors at the iconic Nupi Keithel — hailed as Asia’s largest women-run market — have announced to shut their business in Imphal for five days and join the people’s movement to restore peace and normalcy. As a result, the Khwairamband Keithel, the main market in Imphal, and other business establishments around it continued to remain closed.

The Manipur Police said that 118 checkpoints have been placed in different districts of the northeastern state, both in the hill and the valley, in which three arms and six bombs were recovered in the last 24 hours.

In another development, the United People’s Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) — two umbrella Kuki organisations — have decided to lift the blockade of Kangul (Kangpokpi) on the National Highway-2 with immediate effect to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities.

In a joint statement, UPF spokesperson Aron Kipgen and KNO spokesperson Seilen Haokip said: “The decision was taken after a wide-ranging consultation with civil society organisations, village chiefs, youth and women leaders on several occasions.”