Tension in Manipur village after Kukis stop Meitei farmer from ploughing field
Tension flared in a village in Manipur's Imphal East on Sunday after a farmer from the Meitei community was stopped by some members of the Kuki tribe from ploughing a paddy field.The Meitei farmer arrived with a tractor to plough a paddy field in Sadu Lampak, near a Kuki village, officials said. However, some Kuki villagers objected, claiming that the paddy field did not belong to him.advertisementShortly after, nearby Meitei residents arrived at the site, escalating tensions in the area.
Videos circulating on social media allege that Kuki villagers came down to stop Meitei farmers from cultivating the land, according to Manipur Police. In some other videos, the villagers from both sides are seen throwing stones and slingshots at each other.Security forces, including teams led by the Additional SP of Imphal East and central paramilitary personnel, reached the spot and are actively controlling the situation. Additional reinforcements led by the district SP have also been dispatched.Security personnel are continuously attending to the situation, which is under control. No casualties have been reported so far.Authorities have urged the people not to believe in rumours and to maintain peace.Manipur has been witnessing protests as demonstrators defied prohibitory orders and clashed with security forces across several districts of Imphal Valley, demanding the unconditional release of the arrested leader of Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol Kanan Singh and four others.advertisementMore than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. The Centre on February 13 imposed President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned.The state Assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.(with inputs from PTI)Trending Reel
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Farmers' stand-off near Manipur's ethnic buffer zone
Representative image (Photo: PTI) GUWAHATI: Kuki and Meitei villagers clashed on Sunday along the boundary of Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts in Manipur after a standoff between farmers from both communities over ploughing rights at a foothill village. Three to five people suffered minor injuries during the skirmish near Sadu Lampak, an area straddling an unofficial buffer between Meitei-majority Imphal valley and Kuki-Zo tribal hills. Security forces intervened. According to Manipur police, a Meitei farmer from Leitanpokpi arrived with a tractor to plough a paddy field in Sadu Lampak, close to a Kuki-majority area. "Some nearby Kuki villagers came and objected, saying the paddy field did not belong to him. Some Meitei villagers too reached the site," the police said in a statement. Meitei farmers said they had obtained permission from authorities to cultivate the land, which had remained uncultivated since the ethnic unrest. With the paddy sowing season approaching and violence subsiding under President's Rule since February, the farmers decided to return. Videos of Sunday's clash circulated widely online. Manipur police urged the public not to fall for rumours. Over the past two years, several farmers have been killed while working in fields near volatile boundary zones. Ethnic violence since May 2023 has killed more than 250 and displaced over 60,000 people in the state.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Kuki, Meitei villagers clash over ploughing of agricultural land
1 2 Guwahati: Kuki and Meitei villagers clashed along the boundary between Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts on Sunday, following altercations between villagers from the two communities over ploughing of agricultural lands at a village in the foothills. The groups targeted each other by throwing stones and using slingshots. According to sources, three to five people suffered injuries. While ownership of the land is not yet clear, villagers from both sides clashed against each other, using bamboo and wooden sticks. However, before things could spiral out of control, police and central security forces diffused the situation. According to a Manipur Police statement, a Meitei farmer from Leitanpokpi had gone to plough a paddy field, with his tractor, at Sadu Lampak village, which is near a Kuki-dominated area. "Some nearby Kuki villagers came and objected, saying the paddy field did not belong to him. Some Meitei villagers too reached the site," read the statement. With Leitanpokpi having witnessed violent incidents between the Kukis and Meiteis since the ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023, videos of the altercation went viral, sending alarm bells among the security personnel. "Some videos are circulating, saying Kukis have come down to stop Meitei farmers," Manipur Police cautioned in its X handle, urging the public not to believe in rumours. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "It is to inform that security forces, led by Addl SP IE and other central forces, have already reached the spot and have controlled the situation. Additional forces led by SP and others are also responding to the situation," Manipur Police wrote on X. According to some of the Meitei farmers, crop lands at Sadu Lampak were not cultivated in the aftermath of the ethnic clashes. However, this time, as the paddy sowing season is approaching and the number of incidents have come down after imposition of the President's rule, the Meitei farmers went to plough the land, despite it being in a vulnerable location. The Meitei farmers who went to plough the land said they had reportedly taken permission from the authorities to cultivate the land. In the last two years, several farmers have been killed while working in a paddy field. Meanwhile, the Meitei Heritage Welfare Foundation alleged that the Kuki villagers obstructed Meitei farmers from cultivating their land, even in the presence of security forces.
NDTV
8 hours ago
- NDTV
Manipur BJP Spokesperson Writes To PM, Asks Not To Renew Controversial Deal With Insurgents
Imphal: A BJP spokesperson from the Thadou tribe in Manipur has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider the Manipur assembly's unanimous resolution in February 2024 that called for not extending the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement signed with Kuki, Zomi and Hmar insurgent groups. The last deadline to extend the tripartite SoO agreement signed between the two dozen insurgent groups and the Centre and the state government was February 29, 2024. Broadly under the SoO agreement, the insurgents have to follow strict ground rules like not recruiting more militants and not carrying out highway extortion, apart from staying in designated camps with their firearms in jointly monitored locked storages. "As per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, public order falls under the State List. On 29 February 2024, the current 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, where the BJP holds the majority, unanimously resolved against any extension of the SoO agreement with UPF/KNO by the government of India," Manipur BJP spokesperson T Michael Lamjathang Haokip said in a letter to PM Modi. "Ignoring this decision would not only violate the Constitution but also undermine the democratic mandate of the people of Manipur. I urge the government of India to honour this resolution and uphold the federal principles of our democracy," Mr Haokip said in the letter. The Thadou tribe leader's house in Kuki-dominant Churachandpur district was attacked twice by armed mobs in 2024. Mr Haokip maintains he has been raising awareness about the Thadou community as a distinct tribe, and not under the Kuki nomenclature amid the ethnic tension in Manipur. Mr Haokip said it would be a mistake to treat the armed groups under the SoO agreement as "partners in peace". "Continuing to patronise insurgent groups in the hills of Manipur risks creating man-made, human-triggered volcanoes that will inevitably erupt. lt is time to treat such groups for what they are: militants, not partners in peace," Mr Haokip said in the letter. If, however, the SoO agreement has to be extended, it should be done only after a popular government is reinstated in Manipur, Mr Haokip said, adding any future decision on this [SoO agreement] matter should be taken after a broad-based consultation with all the affected stakeholders, including indigenous groups from both the hill and valley regions, particularly Thadou tribe leaders and community. Mr Haokip alleged the government appears "unable to enforce the agreed ground rules, and [so] any further extension serves no meaningful purpose." "Mere reduction of designated camps is not a solution; it only amounts to shifting responsibility without addressing the core problem," Mr Haokip said in the letter. The two dozen Kuki, Zomi and Hmar insurgent groups come under two umbrella groups - the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), and the United People's Front (UPF). These two representing the others have signed the SoO agreement. The Manipur Police for the first time confirmed in September 2024 the involvement of insurgents who are part of the SoO agreement in the ethnic violence. The police also, for the first time, confirmed the involvement of the Meitei insurgent group UNLF (P), which had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre and the state, in the ethnic violence. Earlier this month, a member of the Kuki National Army (KNA) which is a signatory to the SoO agreement, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for attacking a police post and killing two commandos in Manipur's border town Moreh in January 2024.
