The November 11 Jiribam killing and abduction of innocent women and children, and the simultaneous attacks on the Meitei villages at the foothills in the peripheries of Manipur central valley, and killing of a young Meitei woman farmer harvesting in the paddy field in Saiton village in Bishnupur district on November 9 by the Kuki-Zomi militants triggered a spontaneous people’s agitation against the State (Government of India and Government of Manipur) to end the almost 19 months violent conflict.
The deadly clash on November 11 in Borobekra of Manipur’s Jiribam district left eleven Kuki-Zomi militants dead in the retaliation by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and one CRPF personnel succumbed. The Kuki-Zomi militants gunfire towards civilians and burned down Meitei houses in Jakuradhor Karong under Borobekra Police Station in Jiribam district and two Meitei civilians found dead, another two civilians including one injured were rescued while six women and children including an eight months-old have been abducted by the Kuki-Zomi militants.
On the same day, besides the attack in Jiribam, the Kuki-Zomi militants rained down bullets and bombs including rockets at the villages located at peripheral areas of Manipur central valley. They carried out attacks upon Koutruk, Kadangband and Kangchup Chingkhong and Phayeng under Lamshang Police Station in Imphal West district. The attacks began around 7:15 pm by Kuki-Zomi militants, following which both the Central and State forces deployed at Kangchup Chingkhong retaliated.
At around 8.20 pm, Kuki-Zomi militants burned down newly constructed fabricated houses at Porom Ching of Phayeng under Lamsang police station. The fabricated houses were meant for housing police and security forces.
The Kuki-Zomi militants fired rockets from Kharam Vaiphei and Nakhujang around 7.25 pm. The rockets hit several areas at Phumlou and Lairensajik. Some of the rockets failed to explode on hitting the ground.
On the same day, November 11 between 3 to 3:30 pm, a fierce gunfight between Village Volunteers and Kuki-Zomi militants at Leitanpokpi and Dampi Hill Range under Phougakchao Ikhai Police Station in Bishnupur erupted in the aftermath of the fatal killing of a young woman, Sapam Sophia, who was working in the paddyfield in Saiton village was shot dead in an unprovoked terror attack by Kuki-Zomi militants in Bishnupur district on November 9.
Moreover, on November 11, the Kuki-Zomi militants continued firing from Uyokching upon Thamnapokpi Shantikhongbal villages under Yaingangpokpi police station which has been under AFSPA. A 32 year-old farmer Kanshok Horam belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community was injured while he along with nine farmers including eight Tangkhul and one Nepali were working. The other farmers luckily escaped unhurt.
Earlier, on the night of November 9 the Kuki-Zomi militants started attacks at Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi under Yaingangpokpi Police Station in Imphal East district, Manipur. Following Saturday’s attack, Kuki-Zomi militants launched yet another unprovoked attack at midnight, injuring a Mahar Regiment personnel. The attack continued till wee hours around 1.30 am. During the shootout, a Mahar Regiment personnel sustained minor injuries. A stray bullet reportedly scratched his left arm, according to reports.
The six innocent women and children were reportedly tortured, raped, killed and by the Kuki-Zomi militants. Later, the dead bodies were found from Barak River on different days.
Consequently, on November 16, a large number of irate mobs stormed the residences of many legislators as well as ministers in Imphal over the escalated violence against the Meiteis by the Kuki-Zomi militants in recent times, especially with reports of six women and children captives dead. Angry protestors damaged residential gates, shouted slogans, clashed with police and even burnt properties of some MLAs as the situation worsened in the violence-hit state of Manipur.
Protestors stormed outside the residences of Sagolband MLA RK Imo, Patsoi MLA Sapam Kujakeshwar, Keishamthong MLA Sapam Nishikanta, Wangkhei MLA Thangjam Arun, MLA of Naoriya Pakhang Lakpa AC, Kebi, MLA of Uripok AC Khwairakpam Raghumani, MLA of Wangoi AC Loken, MLA Langthabal AC Karam Shyam and Thangmeiband MLA Kh Joykisan Kakching MLA M Rameshor, Hiyanglam MLA Radheshysm besides state cabinet ministers L Sushildro, Sapam Ranjan and Thongam Biswajit Singh.
Earlier, the 13 civil bodies – International Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA), People’s Action for National Democratic Movement (PANDM), Kangleipak Lamjing Apunba Meira Paibi Lup (Kanglamei), All Club Organisation Association and Meira Paibi Lup (ACOAM-Lup), Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA), Indigenous People’s Association of Kangleipak (IPAK), Chanura Lamchinglel Kangleipak (CLK), Kanglei Ima Lup (KIL), Loumee Yaipha Lup Kangleipak (LOYALUP), Educational and Rural Development Organisation (ERDO), Malem Ima Kanba Lup (MIKL), Struggling Women’s Association (SWA), and Apunba Keithel Sinnaibi Lup (AKSIL) – called a 24-hour total shutdown from 6 pm on November 12 and brought the Manipur central valley to a standstill on November 13.
Moreover, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) started Sit-in-Protest in Khwairamband Keithel on November 16 protesting escalating violence and abduction and killing of six women and children.
The COCOMI intensified the protest on November 18 by locking down several Central Government offices in Imphal West district to protest the recent killing of three women and three children in Jiribam while the Manipur government also extended the suspension of internet services by two more days till in seven districts of Manipur. The protesters stormed into the office complex of the Chief Electoral Officer at Lamphelpat and locked its main entrance door with chains and locks, officials said. The main office doors of the Institute of Bio-Resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) at Takyel, and the Directorate of Economics and Statistics located a few hundred metres from the CEO’s office were also locked by the protesters.
Meanwhile, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren at Chief Minister’s Secretariat on November 18 evening endorsed the cabinet decision taken earlier on November 16 while resolving to start mass operations against the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of the six innocent women and children in Jiribam within seven days.
The resolutions reaffirmed the appeal made to the Central Government to review the imposition of AFSPA as per the order dated November 14 with immediate effect.
The cases related to the killing of the six innocent Meitei women and children in Jiribam, death of one Hmar woman who was burnt on November in Jiribam and the killing of one Meitei woman farmer in Saiton, Bishnupur district on November 9 to be immediately handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), as per the resolution.
It resolved to declare the Kuki Militants responsible for the killing of the six innocent women and children as unlawful organisations within seven days.
If the above resolutions taken are not implemented within the specified period, all the NDA Legislators will decide the future course of action in consultation with the people of the state, it stated.
It further resolved that the Central and state governments will take all necessary steps at the earliest to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur.
The meeting also condemned the action of certain persons who humiliated ministers and MLAs, representing the public, by attacking them and also burning and stealing their properties. Such barbaric action of the miscreants, including the looting and destruction of properties was strongly condemned by all the Legislators present, as per the resolution. Legal action will be initiated against the concerned miscreants, based on the findings of a High Powered Committee, it stated.
The meeting was held to take a decisive political action in the wake of the gruesome murder of six members of a family in Jiribam district which has sent shockwaves across the state and the subsequent mass public outrage and condemnations which followed.
No comment was given by the MLAs who attended the meeting. They did not disclose any development of the meeting. But Kumbi MLA, S Premchandra said the meeting will bring a new development in the coming days.
Notably, the meeting was attended by around 26 legislators while most of the MLAs were absent.
As per a statement, as many as 11 legislators did not attend the meeting without giving any specific reason despite receiving the notification for the meeting on Monday (November 18) while another seven took leave.
Following the resolutions taken by the ruling legislators, the COCOMI abruptly suspended the indefinite Sit-in-Protest staged at Khwairamband Keithel in Imphal for seven days in a midnight announcement between November 19 and 20.
As the COCOMI leaders announced the suspension, tensions erupted between the women protestors and the COCOMI leaders. After some altercation with the women folk, the COCOMI leaders fled the area quietly amid the chaos, leaving many protesters frustrated and feeling betrayed.
Moreover, the resolutions taken by the ruling BJP and its coalition legislators is still far from what the people of Manipur expects to end the almost 19 months-old violent attacks by the Kuki-Zomi militants against the Meiteis and siege of Manipur central valley. The resolutions mainly focused on the Jiribam killings while the people’s spontaneous agitation was to end the violent conflict between the Kuki-Zomi militants and the Meiteis. And there is a gulf of difference between the resolutions of ruling legislators and people’s expectation.
Senior Editor: Imphal Review of Arts and Politics
