Manipur: Normal life affected in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur after Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum enforces shutdown, roads blocked and...
Manipur: Normal life affected in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur after Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum enforces shutdown, roads blocked and...
Life came to a stop in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Friday after a tribal group called for an indefinite shutdown. The protest was held after an elderly Kuki woman was killed during a gunfight. Shops and markets stayed closed, and there were very few vehicles on the roads. Members of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), including many women, were seen blocking roads with sticks in their hands, demanding justice for the woman.
The woman, named Hoikholhing Haokip, died in a crossfire between security forces and some unknown armed men on Thursday evening. The incident took place in the Langchingmanbi and Heichanglok areas, where the security forces had gone for a search operation.
The armed men fired at the security team, and a gun battle followed. Sadly, Haokip was caught in the firing and lost her life.
Due to the shutdown, government offices had low attendance, and schools and colleges were shut.
The ITLF blamed the central government for not doing enough to protect tribal people and their land. They demanded a proper and fair investigation into repeated violations of buffer zones areas meant to separate communities during this ongoing conflict.
At the same time, a 24-hour shutdown also began in Kangpokpi district from 1 PM on Friday. The protest was supported by the Committee on Tribal Unity and other local groups from Churachandpur.
Since May 2023, over 260 people have died, and thousands have become homeless due to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
On February 13, the central government imposed President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh stepped down. The state assembly has been placed under suspended animation, even though its term was supposed to last until 2027.
(With PTI inputs)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
'Indefinite shutdown' in Manipur's Kuki areas after woman killed in crossfire
An indefinite shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has brought daily life to a grinding halt across Churachandpur district and other Kuki-dominated regions of Manipur. The protest was launched in response to the killing of Hoikholhing, wife of the Langchingmanbi village chief. She was allegedly killed during a crossfire between security forces and armed militants on Thursday, June incident occurred during a search operation launched by security personnel in Langchingmanbi village, hours after a separate gun attack in Phubala, Bishnupur district, where Ningthoujam Biren, a 60-year-old Meitei farmer, was shot and injured by unidentified assailants while working in his paddy a strongly-worded statement, the Kuki Inpi Youth Affairs, a youth wing of a Kuki organisation, alleged that 'Hoikholhing was shot dead during a crossfire between Central security forces and armed Meitei militants.' The organisation blamed what it called the negligence of security forces and warned that the government must act to prevent a further rise in unrest. The ITLF condemned the killing as a 'grave injustice' and said the incident highlighted the ongoing failure of authorities to protect civilians in conflict-hit areas. 'This is not just a tragic loss for one family, but a glaring example of the state's breakdown in law and order,' the ITLF said in its support of the shutdown, six Kuki civil society organisations have expressed solidarity and demanded a high-level investigation into the circumstances leading to Hoikholhing's death. They also called for accountability and immediate justice for the victim's Friday morning, Churachandpur town wore a deserted look, with bandh supporters blocking roads, including the strategic Tiddim Road (NH-150) that connects Imphal with Mizoram via Churachandpur. Markets, educational institutions, and government offices remained shut, though essential services such as pharmacies and medical facilities were exempted from the latest flare-up comes amid ongoing ethnic unrest that has plagued Manipur since May 3, 2023, when large-scale violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The region remains heavily militarized, with additional state and central forces deployed in the wake of the recent incidents to maintain have appealed for calm and reassured the public that investigations into both the Churachandpur and Phubala shootings are underway. However, with tensions running high and community trust in law enforcement eroding, the indefinite shutdown threatens to deepen the divide and prolong the instability gripping the the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged the government to take immediate and firm action to address the rising threat perception faced by farmers during the current cultivation has demanded that the government step up its efforts by deploying security forces across the first line of hill terrain and foothill ranges that border the valley's agricultural zones. 'This is the working season. Our farmers must have the right to safely access and cultivate their fields. Without a secure environment, they are being denied this basic right,' he said. Warning of possible mass agitation, COCOMI has emphasised the need for immediate action to push back armed groups and prevent future Watch
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
CoTU enforces indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur
1 2 Imphal: An indefinite shutdown has begun in Churachandpur district while the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has called for a 24-hour shutdown in Kangpokpi district from 1pm on Friday, following the killing of Hoikholhing Haokip, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi. The shutdown has affected normal lives in both the districts. The decision to impose the shutdown was endorsed by CoTU, supported by civil society organisations (CSOs) of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts. According to a media note issued by police, an operation was launched after Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a farmer from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, suffered a bullet injury in his left arm allegedly fired upon by unidentified armed miscreants while working in his paddy field on Thursday. During the operation, armed miscreants opened fire on the security forces who retaliated. Amid the crossfire, Kuki woman Haokip was found dead with a bullet injury. Security personnel identified her as the wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi. Authorities transported her body to the district hospital in Churachandpur for legal formalities. Police said cases have been registered and investigations are underway while combined security forces are continuing search operations to track down those involved. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Meanwhile, CoTU has also termed the incident as 'another targeted assault in what has now become a systematic campaign' and blamed the state govt as directly responsible for allowing such atrocities to unfold under its watch. CoTU alleged that Meitei aggressors were being allowed to act unchecked and that failure to protect vulnerable populations had once again led to loss of life. CoTU put forward three demands — immediate action against those responsible for the killing, concrete steps from the central govt to safeguard tribal lives and territories and an independent investigation into repeated violations of buffer zone arrangements. Calling upon all communities, institutions, organisations and individuals, CoTU has urged strict observance of the shutdown. The Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights has also strongly condemned the killing of Haokip, calling it a horrific act of violence. Meanwhile, the inspector general of police and other top officials conducted an inspection at the site of the recent Phubala firing incident, where suspected Kuki armed miscreants allegedly opened fire on farmers ploughing in the low canal areas, injuring a farmer. In response to the incident, the Apunba Meira Paibi of Phubala, along with various civil society organisations, held a joint meeting. Although no official statement has been released about the meeting, no reports of a shutdown have emerged so far — despite an earlier announcement by a Meira Paibi leader calling for a shutdown. The leader had demanded that the chief secretary, security advisor, and the governor of Manipur visit the affected site and ensure justice for the farmers.
NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
Will Provide Security To Farmers In Vulnerable Areas: Manipur Government
Imphal: A day after a farmer was shot at in Manipur's Bishnupur district, the state government on Friday announced to provide security to the farmers in the vulnerable areas, officials said. A senior police official said that adequate security would be provided to ensure the safety of farmers in the fields and prevent incidents involving the farmers. A woman was killed and a farmer shot at in separate incidents in Manipur's Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts, respectively, on Thursday. The official said Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a farmer from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant while working in his paddy field at Phubala Maning in Bishnupur district. Mr Singh, who belonged to the Meitei community, was initially taken to the district hospital in Bishnupur for medical treatment and was later referred to the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Imphal. His condition is reported to be stable at present. In response, security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village. During the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed attackers and the forces retaliated accordingly. During the crossfire, a woman identified as Hoikholhing Haokip from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury. She was from the Kuki tribes and was the wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi. A Manipur Police statement said cases have been filed in connection with the incidents, and an investigation is going on. Combined teams of security forces are continuing search operations to catch the perpetrators, the police said. The statement said every effort is being made to bring those responsible to justice at the earliest. Additionally, security arrangements related to farming activities in the area will be reviewed. The people are requested to maintain peace and not circulate unverified information, the police said. On June 15, tension erupted in Manipur's Imphal East district over a dispute related to the farming of a paddy field and land ownership. It was defused with the deployment of additional security forces in the area. A police officer had said that a farmer belonging to the Meitei community from Leitanpokpi area went with a tractor to plough a paddy field in Sadu Lampak village in Imphal East, near a Kuki-inhabited village. "Some Kuki villagers nearby came and objected, claiming that the paddy field does not belong to the Meitei farmer. In the meantime, some people of the Meitei community, who were nearby, also came to the spot. Videos were circulated saying Kukis have come down to stop Meitei farmers," the officer had said. An officer of the agriculture department said that as the agricultural season nears its peak, unresolved land access disputes and the lack of effective protection for farmers continue to deepen ethnic divide and fuel unrest in conflict-affected areas of Manipur. The current kharif (monsoon) season runs from June to October. Due to the ethnic violence in Manipur, farming activities have been affected in both Imphal valley and hilly areas during the past more than two years. In another development, the security forces arrested eight insurgents including a woman belonging to banned outfits in Manipur during the past 24 hours from Imphal West, Tengnoupal, Kakching and Bishnupur districts. Of the eight, two were members of the banned Peoples' Liberation Army.
