Manipur: Violent Clash in Imphal West; Civilians and Police Injured in Fresh Tensions

IMPHAL: 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. Lateral outcome of the ethnic tensions in the state, in which a 31-year-old woman, Ngangbam Surbala, died and her 12-year-old daughter was injured in the incident. The two policemen were injured in the violence, although they are reported to be out of danger.

The clash began around 2:35 pm when suspected insurgents opened fire from Nakhujang village in Kangpokpi towards Kadangband in Imphal West. While police have remained tightlipped about the details, locals in Kadangband reported a terrifying scene where at least one drone allegedly dropped a "bomb" on a house, forcing residents to flee for cover. The authenticity of the claims is, however, still under scrutiny by security forces, though purported visuals of the incident have circulated widely on social media.

The incident snowballed into an already raging controversy between the Kuki and Meitei communities, who have been engaged in violence since May this year over a series of issues. Geographically as well as culturally, Kangpokpi represents the region of the Kuki tribes' dominance, as opposed to Imphal West, the valley dominated by Meiteis where incidents of violence have taken place.

The attack only made the division wider, with the members of the Meitei community accusing "Kuki terrorists" for the killing, while the social media users from Kuki-claimed the Meiteis initiated the violence by firing upon the Kuki villages in Kangpokpi.

The violence comes a day after a massive protest by the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday, which was called in response to an interview by Chief Minister Singh in which he ruled out the possibility of a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo community. Under attack from the Kuki community for allegedly fanning the violence, Singh had rejected calls for intervention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the state government could sort out the crisis on its own within the next 5-6 months.

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