Three Kuki-Zo villagers, including a couple, were killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen in Kangpokpi district of Manipur on Friday morning amid a continuing hostage crisis that has caused a fresh flare-up in the already volatile state.
Seven houses were also set on fire in the attack at Loibol Khullen village in Kuki-Zo-majority Kangpokpi. The deceased have been identified as Letkhongam Haokip, 34, his wife Tinmary Haokip, 30, and Jangminlan
Haokip, 34.
While leading Kuki-Zo organisations blamed Naga militants for the attack, Manipur home minister Govindas Konthoujam said the government was yet to receive a detailed report on the crime, which is set to further strain the ties between the Nagas and the Kuki-Zos. The Rongmei Naga Council Manipur (RNCM) claimed that Kuki militants were involved in
the attack.
Kangpokpi and Naga-majority Ukhrul district have witnessed several incidents of killing of people from either community since April, heightening the tension in Manipur’s hill districts, mostly inhabited by the Nagas and the Kuki-Zos.
The hill districts have been witnessing blockades and shutdowns following the killing of three church leaders and the subsequent hostage crisis last month.
Ties between the two communities have taken a hit since the murder of two Naga civilians in Ukhrul on April 18. This was followed by the killing of three Kuki-Zo church leaders in Kangpokpi district on May 13, after which over 48 members from both communities have been held hostage by different groups.
While 28 of those held hostage — 14 Kuki-Zos and 14 Nagas — on May 13 were released on May 15, 14 Kuki-Zos and six Nagas remain in captivity.
The United Naga Council, the apex body of the Nagas in Manipur, had tried to facilitate the release of 14 Kuki-Zos in Senapati on June 1, but the proposed move was cancelled following concern within the Naga community over the lack of clarity about the condition or the fate of the six Naga hostages.
Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday condemned the “brutal attack at Loibol Khullen village”, asserted that the “deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians” was unacceptable and said the government would not spare those responsible for the “barbaric act”.
The chief minister directed the state police and central security agencies to immediately arrest the assailants. He also instructed the authorities concerned to enhance security in vulnerable areas and provide relief to the affected families.
The bad blood between the Nagas and the Kuki-Zos of late has only added to the security concerns in the state, which is struggling to resolve the conflict between the Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis that erupted on May 3, 2023, leaving at least 260 dead and over 58,000 displaced so far. The Nagas had adopted a neutral stand on the conflict.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kukis, condemned Friday’s attack by “heavily armed cadres of the NSCN-IM and its proxy ZUF(K)” around 4am. It said that besides the killing of three civilians in Loibol Khullen, “seven houses were reduced to ashes and substantial damage was inflicted upon civilian properties”.
Expressing solidarity with the affected villagers, the KIM urged the Centre and the security agencies to immediately launch a thorough investigation, arrest the perpetrators and ensure that justice is delivered without delay. The authorities must also take urgent measures to safeguard vulnerable villages and prevent further attacks on innocent civilians, the outfit said.
Another leading community organisation, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), said: “The latest tragedy follows a series of attacks on the Kuki-Zo people…. These repeated acts of violence have deepened fear and insecurity within our community and reinforced the belief that Kuki-Zo lives no longer matter in Manipur.
“Today, our community finds itself under threat from multiple fronts. The continued targeting of innocent Kuki-Zo civilians raises serious concerns about our safety, security and very survival in the state. We place our trust in the Indian security forces and earnestly appeal to them to provide adequate protection to our villages and prevent further attacks on innocent civilians.”
The KZC said its representatives remained engaged in dialogue with the Union home ministry for a lasting political solution. It added that the Kuki-Zos “have no desire to be drawn into fresh conflicts with any community and remain committed to pursuing our aspirations through democratic and constitutional means”.
“The continued atrocities against the Kuki-Zo people only reaffirm the legitimacy of our demand for a separate administration. We therefore call upon the Government of India to expedite a political solution to our long-standing demands so that the Kuki-Zo people may live in peace, security and dignity, like every other citizen of India,” the KZC said.
CRPF meet
G.P. Singh, the CRPF director-general, met Manipur DGP Mukesh Singh at the police headquarters in Imphal on Friday to discuss the prevailing security situation in the state and outline the way forward for security forces to work in coordination. Later, G.P. Singh also met the chief minister.