Meitei women groups allegedly blocked reinforcements rushed to ethnic violence-hit Manipur’s Molnoi after unidentified assailants fired at security forces on Friday morning and triggered a gunfight, people aware of the matter said.
The attackers hiding in a jungle fired at security forces around 6am. “As the gunfight continued in Molnoi, reinforcements were on their way to the area. Their movement is being blocked by Meira Paibis [Meitei women],” said an official, who did not wish to be named. The official added the identity of the attackers was unclear.
Until 9.30am, neither police nor central forces confirmed any casualties. After a week-long lull, fresh violence erupted last week. On August 29, and August 31, clashes between tribal Kukis and dominant Meiteis left at least eight people dead and over two dozen, including three India Reserve Battalion personnel, wounded.
A curfew was imposed in five districts of Manipur on Tuesday following the call of the women’s wing of a collective of Meitei groups for a march for the removal of a security barricade at Phougakchao Ikhai village.
COCOMI, the collective, has sought Assam Rifles’s removal from Manipur saying the force was biased. Meitei women groups have held a series of protests against the force.
{{/usCountry}}COCOMI, the collective, has sought Assam Rifles’s removal from Manipur saying the force was biased. Meitei women groups have held a series of protests against the force.
{{/usCountry}}Last month, Assam Rifles sent a legal notice to a Manipuri leader for his alleged remarks accusing the force of siding with Kuki militants during the clashes with Meiteis. The Manipur Police filed a first information report accusing the Assam Rifles of stopping them from pursuing Kuki militants across a buffer zone.
Assam Rifles has maintained its troops were only following the buffer zone guidelines in place to restore normalcy. It filed a sedition case against COCOMI for allegedly discouraging the return of weapons stolen from police armouries.
The Kukis and other tribal groups live in hill districts while the Meiteis in the Imphal valley and plains. The central forces are posted in the buffer zones or areas adjoining the foothills to ensure that armed people from both the Kukis and Meitei sides do not cross them to launch attacks.
Central forces have been directed against allowing even state police to cross the buffer zones without taking them along. The directive was issued against the backdrop of allegations of bias against the state police.
Ethnic violence between the Metei and Kuki communities has since May 3 claimed over 150 lives and displaced close to 50,000 people.