Fresh violence erupted in the Imphal peripheries on Sunday, a week after a controversial statement by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who emphatically ruled out the demand of the Kuki-Zo community for a separate administration. a side effect of the state’s ethnic conflicts, which resulted in the death of Ngangbam Surbala, 31, and the injuries of her 12-year-old daughter. Despite being hurt in the altercation, the two police officers are said to be safe.
Around 2:35 p.m., suspected rebels fired from Nakhujang village in Kangpokpi towards Kadangband in Imphal West, sparking the conflict. Locals in Kadangband described a horrifying sight as at least one drone allegedly dropped a “bomb” on a house, forcing the occupants to run for cover. Police, however, have stayed silent about the specifics. Despite the fact that alleged photos of the event have gone viral on social media, security personnel are currently investigating the veracity of the claims.
The incident became out of control and intensified the already fierce dispute between the Kuki and Meitei communities, who have been fighting since May of this year over a number of concerns. Geographically and culturally speaking, Kangpokpi is the region where the Kuki tribes predominate, whereas Imphal West is the Meitei-dominated valley where violent occurrences have occurred. The incident only served to deepen the divide; Meitei community members blamed “Kuki terrorists” for the deaths, while Kuki social media users asserted that the Meiteis were the ones who started the conflict by firing upon the Kuki villages in Kangpokpi.
The violence occurs one day after the Kuki-Zo group staged a large-scale demonstration on Saturday in response to Chief Minister Singh’s interview, in which he ruled out the prospect of the Kuki-Zo community having its own administration. Singh, who was being attacked by the Kuki group for allegedly inciting the violence, had previously rebuffed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pleas for action, claiming that the state administration could resolve the issue in the next five to six months on its own.
