Fresh violence in Manipur: Miscreants attack police outposts, burn homes in Jiribam

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 8, 2024

In a fresh incident of violence, a group of insurgents who came in three boats in a river attacked many police outposts and set homes on fire in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Saturday.

The attack started at 12.30 am in Jiribam’s Chotobekra on the banks of the Barak River along the Assam-Manipur border.

“Chotobekra outpost was burned down at 12.30 am following which the group attacked the police outposts (OPs) in Lamtai Khunou and Modhupur.

More than 70 houses were set on fire. The worst-affected villages are Lamtai Khunou, Dibong Khunou, Nunkhal, and Begra in Jiribam district.

Jiribam is 220 km from the state capital Imphal and is on the border with Assam. National Highway 37 passes through this district. There are many Kuki villages in the hills surrounding the highway.

“They came in boats, and attacked the OPs in the dark around 2.30 am,” said another police officer.

Activists from various civil society organisations in Jiribam have evacuated 250 Meitei families from the area to the Chingdong Leikai Primary School Relief Camp for their safety, reports said.

According to an order by the Manipur director general of police on June 7, a significant number of commando officers and personnel of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur have been deployed in Jiribam.

The evacuation took place a day after ethnic tension flared up over the killing of a 59-year-old man, allegedly by Kuki insurgents at around 5.30 pm on Thursday.

Leishabithol, from where the Meitei families were evacuated, is near the hills where the Kuki tribes are dominant, while interior Jiribam has a large Meitei presence.

Sources said Manipur Police commandos are being sent to Jiribam to counter the suspected insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribe Advocacy Committee (ITAC) has declared a total shutdown in its jurisdiction to register their protest against the incident.

“Total shutdown is declared in all jurisdiction in case of emergency passes will be issued by the ITACand volunteers on duty,” the ITAC said in a statement here.

“It also warned Manipur Police forces not to operate in ITAC jurisdiction areas failing which will be retaliated as deemed appropriate and ITAC will not be responsible for any untoward incident,” the statement said.

The ITAC blamed Meitei groups for the unprovoked attacks, World Meitei Council (WMC) sought the intervention of President Droupadi Murmu for the protection of Meiteis in Jiribam district.

The ITAC expressed concern over the attack and said” The unprovoked attacks and burning of numerous Hmar-Kuki-Zomi houses, including church in and around Jiribam town by Meiteis have forced the tribals to take a stand. The burning of houses in the newly established village of Lamdai Khunou by angry mobs is a direct response to these attacks., an act of retribution against the Meitei militia, who initiated these violence acts.”

“The tribals will no longer remain silent in the face os such aggression. To prevent such escalation of the current violence and for the safety of the tribals,” it added.