UKHRUL: The usually calm and peaceful district of Ukhrul on Wednesday witnessed unwarranted violence after clashes between two villages, Hunphun and Hungpung, over an age-old land dispute.
The confrontation cost the lives of three people and left more than 20 others wounded. According to the official sources, the violence erupted during the cleanliness drive launched by the Thawaijao Hungpung Young Students' Organisation (THYSO) on October 2, starting from Thingrasa (near Punjab National Bank, Viewland) to the New District Hospital in Hungpung.
The situation turned hot as the people of the locality of Hunphun protested against the event, claiming the locality as part of their territory. The situation turned violent when some armed men started firing guns at each other.
The dead include Reileiwung Hongray and Silas Zingkhai, villagers from Hunphun, as well as Worrinmi Thumra-a soldier from Lunghar village who was stationed in the neighbourhood. This leaves behind a wife and three children. The police said that 22 people were injured in the incident, including one police officer and two personnel of the Manipur Rifles.
One of the injured MR personnel suffered bullet wound injury to the neck and he died in the accident. Four critically injured have been shifted to JNIMS hospital, Imphal for advanced medical care.
Nine more injured were taken to the Leishiphung Christian Hospital at Hunphun village, where two of them died at the spot. Policemen admitted that a huge mob from the Ukhrul Police Station based in Police Bazaar could have had over ten weapons.
Regarding the violence, Ukhrul Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dinringam Kamei exercised emergency powers under Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023, from 9:30 AM on 2 October, 2024. According to this order, government officials can preserve law and order and make sure that the necessities of life reach the local population; however, processions for occasions such as marriages or burial will now have to be cleared first by the authorities.
Executive Magistrates have been deployed over the affected areas. Thingrasa area is under the care of SDC Ukhrul Hanyo Luke Rungsung, and Ngaphar is under the supervision of SDC/BO Riamei Jangmei. In order to curb this violence, state government suspended the internet services in Ukhrul district till 1:20 PM today.
The main reasons for making this decision were the possible misappropriation of social media to instigate hate speech and create more violence in already volatile scenarios.
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