Latest news with #Hoikholhing
NDTV
22-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Army Not Involved": Defence Ministry Flags Misinformation In Manipur Reports Over Churachandpur Shutdown
Imphal/New Delhi: The Defence Ministry has strongly criticised the local media in Manipur for carrying "misinformation" that the army was involved in an "agreement" which led to a Kuki group agreeing to call off an indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur district. The Kuki group Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) had called the indefinite shutdown over the death of a woman after a gunfight between, according to the police, security forces and "unknown armed miscreants" in Langchingmanbi village on June 19. The security forces began a search operation after a farmer from the Meitei community was shot at by "an unknown armed miscreant" while working in a paddy field near the foothills in Bishnupur district's Phubala, the police had said. The security forces came under fire from "unknown armed miscreants" while they were combing through Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village, and the forces retaliated. "During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury. She was later identified as Hoikholhing, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi," the police said in a statement on June 19. Incident Report: Shooting at Phubala and Subsequent Exchange of Fire Today, at approximately 3:00 PM, one Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant while working in his paddy field at Phubala... — Manipur Police (@manipur_police) June 19, 2025 In protest over the death of the woman, the ITLF called the indefinite shutdown in Kuki-dominant Churachandpur district. Churachandpur town (file) ITLF Calls Of Indefinite Shutdown In Churachandpur: Report The ITLF on Saturday announced it called off the indefinite shutdown, and the reason for it was that "an amicable solution" with the district administration has been reached under the "tribal customary law", news agency PTI reported. "This is inform to the general public that an amicable solution has reached between the ITLF and district administration, Churachandpur, in connection with the loss of our beloved mother (late) Hoikholhing Haokip, chief of Langchingmanbi village, at ITLF office, Tuibong according to tribal customary law. Henceforth, the indefinite total shutdown imposed by ITLF in the district has been called off with immediate effect," the ITLF said in a statement, according to the PTI report. Calls to the Churachandpur deputy commissioner, Dharun Kumar S, went unanswered. CoTU Headlines "False And Baseless": Defence Spokesperson A Defence Ministry spokesperson, referring to local media reports that cited another Kuki group Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), said the army "is neither involved nor has made any agreement, as mentioned in reports." "Such misinformation harms peace process - media is urged to verify with authorised sources, before publishing," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson referred to reports in the local media headlined 'COTU Calls Off Shutdown' and 'Shutdown Over Langchingmanbi Killing Called Off' that were published in some local newspapers on June 22 as "false and baseless". 🚫 Reports titled 'COTU Calls off Shutdown' & "Shutdown over Langchingmanbi Killing Called Off" published on 22 Jun 202 5 in a few of the local newspapers in #Manipur are false & baseless. 🔴 The #IndianArmy is neither involved, nor has made any agreement, as mentioned in... — PRO Defence, Manipur, Nagaland & South Arunachal (@prodefkohima) June 22, 2025 Over 260 people have been killed and thousands have been displaced in the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence that began in May 2023. The Centre imposed President's rule after Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned in February. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.
India Today
20-06-2025
- Politics
- 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
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Manipur: Indefinite bandh in Churachandpur district following woman's death
Imphal: Normal life in Manipur's Churachandpur district was brought to a standstill after an indefinite shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo body. The shutdown comes in wake of the death of Hoikholhing, a woman from the Kuki community, who was allegedly killed during a crossfire between security forces and armed militants. Hoikholhing, said to be the wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi in Churachandpur, succumbed to a bullet injury during an exchange of fire. The incident occurred while security forces were conducting a search operation in response to an earlier shooting incident in which Ningthoujam Biren, a 60-year-old farmer from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in the left arm by unidentified armed assailants on Thursday. Also Read: Elderly Kuki woman killed in cross firing between security forces, armed men in Manipur Condemning the incident, six Kuki civil society organisations have expressed solidarity with the ITLF and extended support to the indefinite shutdown. Churachandpur town wore a deserted look on Friday, with roads blocked by the bandh supporters, particularly the Tiddim Road (NH-150 connecting Imphal and Mizoram via Churachandpur). Educational institutions, markets, and both government and private offices remained closed. However, essential services, including pharmacies and medical facilities, were exempted from the shutdown. In a statement issued on Friday, the Kuki Inpi Youth Affairs, a youth wing of a Kuki organisation, alleged that 'Hoikholhing was shot dead in a crossfire between security forces and armed militants inside her village.' Over 250 people have been killed after ethnic clashes broke out between the Meiteis, who live in the valley, and Kukis, who dominate the surrounding hills, in May 2023.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Day after violence, tensions prevail in Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts in Manipur
GUWAHATI: Tensions prevail in Manipur's Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, a day after a Meitei farmer was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant, and a Kuki woman died in crossfire. Ningthoujam Biren, the farmer from Phubala area of Bishnupur district, was fired upon when he was working in his paddy field along with two other farmers. He was injured in the incident. After the incident, security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok and the western areas of Phubala. 'During the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed miscreants, and the forces retaliated accordingly. During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury. She was later identified as Hoikholhing, wife of Langchingmanbi village chief,' Manipur Police said in a statement. Cases have been registered in connection with the incidents, and an investigation is underway, the statement further stated. Bishnupur adjoins Churachandpur. Bishnupur is a Meitei-majority district while Churachandpur is a Kuki-majority district. The locals of Bishnupur on on June 19 blocked a highway in protest against the attack on the farmer. They demanded the arrest of the assailant and threatened to enforce a shutdown from June 20. It was learnt that Meitei civil society organisations and locals were holding a meeting where they would decide their future course of actions. Meanwhile, a shutdown was being observed in Churachandpur in protest against the killing of the Kuki woman. It was called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum. The organisation demanded, 'immediate action against those responsible for this atrocity, concrete steps from the central government to ensure the protection of tribal lives and territory, and an independent investigation into the repeated buffer zone violations.' The ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kukis, which had erupted on May 3, 2023, left over 250 people dead and some 60,000 others displaced.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Time of India
Kuki woman dies in crossfire between forces & gunmen
Imphal: A Kuki woman died after being caught in a crossfire between security forces and unidentified gunmen, while a Meitei farmer was injured in firing by unidentified miscreants in two separate locations of Manipur Thursday afternoon. Manipur Police said at approximately 3pm, one Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai in Bishnupur district, was shot in his left arm by a miscreant while working in his paddy field. He was initially taken to District Hospital, Bishnupur and was later referred to RIMS Hospital, 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 in Churachandpur district. During the course of the operation, security forces came under fire from unidentified miscreants and retaliated accordingly. "During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury. She was later identified as Hoikholhing, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi," police said. The body is being transported to the district hospital in Churachandpur for necessary legal formalities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch xu hướng AUD/USD? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "Combined security forces are continuing search operations to nab the culprits. Every effort is being made to bring those responsible to justice at the earliest," a police officer said. Police added that security arrangements related to farming activities in the area will be reviewed and sdequate security shall be provided to ensure the safety of farmers in the fields and prevent recurrence of such incident. The police appealed to the people to maintain peace and not circulate unverified information.
