3 Kukis shot dead in Manipur gunfight

Three Kuki men were killed in Manipur gunfire as Meitei and Naga groups rallied in Imphal to scrap the SoO pact with Kuki-Zo armed groups.

Three Kuki men were killed in a fresh exchange of gunfire between unidentified armed groups in Manipur’s Noney district on Saturday, even as thousands of people, including members of Meitei and Naga organisations, held a rally in Imphal demanding the scrapping of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki-Zo armed groups and greater protection for local communities.

The firing took place around 10am at Kekru Naga village under Nungba police station, officials aware of the matter said. Sporadic gunfire between unidentified groups suspected to belong to the Naga and Kuki communities had been reported in the area since October 29, said police, adding that Saturday’s incident was the first in three days to result in fatalities.

According to police, security forces have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

The three men have been identified as Thanglensang Singson, Thangkhosei Haokip and Lamminsang Kipgen, all residents of villages in Churachandpur district, police said.

Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), a Kuki apex body, accused the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and the Zeliangrong United Front-Kamson (ZUF-K) of responsibility for the killings. It said the three men were village volunteers.

“The murder of these three brave village volunteers in Noney district is the direct consequence of the state’s reckless refusal to provide adequate security to vulnerable Kuki-Zo communities,” the organisation said in a statement.

According to police, four automatic assault rifles, a single-barrel rifle, a drone, ammunition and improvised explosives were recovered from the site.

Meanwhile, a massive rally, jointly organised by the Meitei and Naga communities, swept through Imphal on Saturday in what was arguably one of the largest public gatherings in Manipur since ethnic violence erupted in 2023. The high-turnout demonstration comes on the heels of a recent flare-up in tensions involving both groups and the Kuki-Zo community.

They demanded the termination of the SoO agreement with Kuki-Zo armed groups and rehabilitation of families displaced by the ethnic conflict.

The rally was jointly organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), United Naga Council (UNC), Joint Tribes Council (JTC), Foot Hills Naga Coordinating Committee (FNCC), Naga People Union, Imphal (NPUI), Naga Humanitarian Aid Committee Manipur (NHACM), Manipur Naga Youth Organisation (MNYO), All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), and people from the hills and valley.

It came days after militants ambushed 14 Meitei men, killing three of them, sparking protests in the state. The conflict between Meitei and Kuki communities has claimed at least 306 lives so far, while clashes between Kuki and Naga groups have killed around 50 people since February.

Officials said the march began at Tiddim Ground and concluded at Thangmeiband Athletic Union (THAU) ground in Imphal West. Police put up barricades at Keisampat junction, near Lok Bhavan, the chief minister’s office and the BJP state office, preventing the procession from moving further. No untoward incident was reported, said a senior police officer.

At a public convention held at THAU ground, participants adopted a six-point resolution demanding an immediate end to what they described as the Centre’s “proxy war” and its support for “narco-terrorism”. They also sought the deployment of a neutral security force along the India-Myanmar border.

The convention demanded that the SoO arrangement, which expired on September 24, not be extended under any circumstances. It called for the dismantling of designated camps, seizure of weapons and action against cadres accused of violating the agreement’s ground rules.

The organisations also demanded permanent rehabilitation of internally displaced people (IDPs) since May 3, 2023, with adequate security, restoration of properties and livelihood support to enable their return.

Another resolution sought the replacement of the Assam Rifles along the India-Myanmar border with a neutral, professionally trained force to prevent infiltration, trafficking and other cross-border crimes. The groups also demanded implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), with 1951 as the base year, and the removal of deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen from the cabinet. They called for the government’s resignation if she was not removed.