Imphal, July 03: Kuki rebel groups in Manipur have announced the lifting of the two-month-long blockade on the national highway in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district. This decision brings hope for the reopening of a critical lifeline for the state.
However, despite this positive development, incidents of violence persist in Manipur, resulting in the tragic death of at least four individuals on Sunday. Shockingly, one of the victims was beheaded, as confirmed by the police.
The blockading of National Highway-2, which connects Imphal with Dimapur in Nagaland, has been a major challenge since the outbreak of violence on May 3. This blockade has severely disrupted the flow of essential supplies, causing immense hardship for the people of Manipur.
Although the blockade was temporarily lifted in early June following an appeal by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the state, it was unfortunately reimposed just a few days later. This decision came in the wake of three deaths within the Kuki-Zomi community in Kangpokpi district on June 9.
On Sunday, the United People’s Front and the Kuki National Organisation, both of which fall under the 2008 Suspension of Operations agreement with the Centre and the state, issued a statement. In this statement, they announced the immediate lifting of the blockade “to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities in the state.” The decision was made in response to Shah’s “deep concern to restore peace and harmony in the state and [to] alleviate the plight of people in general.”
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The groups also expressed their appreciation for the deployment of central forces in most border areas between the hills and the valley. Additionally, they affirmed their commitment to withdrawing their volunteers from all such places once the “deployment of central forces is completed in all vulnerable areas.”
On the previous evening, Chief Minister Biren Singh had a conversation with members of the Kuki community, expressing his commitment to working towards peace and reconciliation.
In his statement to the media on Saturday evening, he said, “I spoke to some brothers and sisters from the Kuki community on the telephone and said that what has happened has happened. Now is the time to forgive and forget, reconcile, and live together.”
However, despite these efforts, the state continues to experience a volatile situation.
In Langza, a Hmar-Kuki village located in the Churachandpur district, a man named David Thiek was brutally killed and beheaded on Sunday. Local residents reported that the village came under attack during the early hours of Sunday. While most of the village residents fled, a few village volunteers chose to stay back. Tragically, one of the volunteers, Thiek, lost his life during the attack.
Another incident of firing occurred in Khoijumantabi, situated in Bishnupur district in the valley at the border with the hill district of Churachandpur. This resulted in the death of three individuals from the Meitei community. The deceased were identified as Ningombam Ibomcha (34), Naorem Rajkumar (26), and Haobam Ibocha (44).
According to the police, the incident took place around midnight when “armed miscreants coming from adjoining hills fired at the village volunteers” stationed in Khoijumantabi hills. In response to this violence, the district administration limited the curfew relaxation in Bishnupur district to just five hours, from 5 am to 10 am.
In an effort to assess the situation, the Chief Minister visited the violence-hit part of Bishnupur on Sunday afternoon.
Since June 29, incidents of violence in areas along the border of the hills and the valley have claimed the lives of at least six people, disrupting a relatively calm period of around 15 days. These recent deaths have increased the total number of casualties since the onset of violence on May 3 to at least 137 individuals.
The prevailing violence and loss of lives underscore the urgent need for concerted efforts to restore peace and harmony in Manipur. It is crucial for all stakeholders to engage in dialogue, address grievances, and work towards finding a lasting resolution to the ongoing conflicts. Only through mutual understanding and collective efforts can the people of Manipur hope for a peaceful and prosperous future.
