Shutdown in Manipur’s Churachandpur, Kangpokpi districts affects life; fresh violence in Jiribam

The shutdown called by Kuki-Zo groups affected normal life in Manipur’s Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts on Saturday, while fresh violence was reported from a village in Jiribam, officials said.

The shutdown was called by Kuki-Zo groups, including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) and Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), in protest against Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh’s statement about militants entering the state from outside.

Markets and other commercial establishments remained shut in the two districts, while vehicles stayed off the roads, officials said.

No untoward incidents have so far been reported, they said.

The shutdown began in the two districts on Friday and would continue till Sunday.

Singh had on September 20 claimed that security forces have taken a number of steps in the wake of reports that “900 militants” who have entered the state might carry out violence in peripheral villages of Imphal valley districts.

The state government on Wednesday, however, retracted the statement, asserting that the likelihood of “any such misadventures by armed groups is minimal and unsubstantiated”.

Meanwhile, fresh violence was reported from a village in Jiribam district, police said.

Armed men fired indiscriminately at Mongbung village from nearby hilltops and surrounding dense forests, prompting retaliation from ‘village volunteers’, they said.

Women, children and elderly people were moved to safer places following the violence, police said.

Security forces were deployed to control the situation, they said, adding that no casualties were reported.

On Friday, a huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized by security forces from Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Thoubal districts.

A joint team of Manipur Police and Assam Rifles seized two .303 rifles, one 9mm pistol with magazine, cartridges, four hand grenades, two detonators, and one each of country-made mortar and long-range improvised mortar from the Loiching ridge in Kangpokpi district, police said.

The combined forces of state police, BSF and CRPF seized two improvised mortars, locally known as ‘pumpi’, during another search operation in Gothol village in Churachandpur district.

The state police and Assam Rifles also seized four HE-36 hand grenades, two ‘pumpi’ shells, three detonators, and one stun grenade, stinger grenade and tear gas shell each from Phainom hill range in Thoubal district.

No arrests were, however, made in connection with the seizures.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis in Manipur since May 3 last year.