Manipur: Violence Escalates As Miscreants Destroys ITLF Office

IMPHAL: In a fresh spate of violence, unidentified miscreants vandalized the office of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) in Churachandpur on Sunday night.

Various documents, computers, and furniture were reportedly destroyed during the attack.

As per sources, the attack occurred due to an alleged internal conflict between the Paitei and Zomi communities.

Earlier, two houses there were found to been torched by “unknown attackers” in Kwatha Khunou, one of the last Meitei villages on the eastern side of restive Manipur.

Nestled along the India-Myanmar border, the tiny hamlet, which comes under the jurisdiction of Moreh police in Tengnoupal district, has nearly 15 houses with around 40 people.

In the aftermath of the ethnic violence that broke out on May 3 last year, the villagers, fearing attacks from the surrounding tribal villages, left the area for safety, village Chairman Ningthoujam Manihar said.

He said that many of the villagers of the Kwatha Khunou had taken refuge at the nearby Central forces-guarded Kwatha Khunjao, another Meitei village having a population of little over 200, while others, including patients and students, are staying in Imphal.

Manihar said normally the Army carried out patrolling and sometimes, halted a night or two there. “But, we are not sure whether they (Army) were there or not when the incident took place,” he added.

Following the incident, security forces deployed at Moreh town, visited Kwatha Khunou to assess the situation. Superintendent of Police, Special Commando, Th Krishnatombi Singh said: “Kwatha Khunou is an abandoned village as no villagers were seen there during our visit. We saw the remains of two kutcha houses (houses made of mud and straw), and we could not immediately ascertain who torched the houses. A newly constructed government health centre building and other structures remained intact.”

Plans are afoot in the government to set up a security post at Kwatha Khunou to ensure the displaced villagers return, the police officer told the media on Monday.

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