Latest news with #ITLF
The Print
22-06-2025
- The Print
Kuki woman killed in ‘crossfire' in Manipur chose to stay back even at peak of conflict, says niece
A farmer and wife of the village chief Khaikhogin Haokip, she was found dead in a forested area approximately 500 metres from the village, and about 50 metres from the road, a senior district police officer told ThePrint. On Thursday, Haokip was shot in 'crossfire' between security forces and 'unknown armed miscreants'. The incident took place in Langchingmanbi village, near the buffer zone dividing areas dominated by the Kuki-Zo community from areas dominated by Meiteis. New Delhi: Having witnessed extreme violence through 2023 and 2024, Hoikholhing Haokip finally felt safe in her village in Churachandpur, after President's Rule was imposed in strife-torn Manipur in February this year. 'Even when the conflict was at its peak in 2023, and most villagers had fled since the village was on the frontline, she was adamant about staying,' recalled her niece Gracie, as she mourned her death. 'My uncle always told us—our forefathers gave us this land, and even if we die, we will die in our own house.' The incident has fuelled a fresh wave of tensions in the region. According to police, Haokip was killed in crossfire amid a search operation after a Meitei man in a village in Bishnupur district was injured earlier that day, when some 'unidentified assailants' opened fire. Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in the left arm around 3 pm while working in his paddy field, Manipur Police posted on X. He was taken to the district hospital, and later referred to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal, about 30 km away. His condition is reported to be stable. 'In response, the security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village. During the course of the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed miscreants and the forces retaliated accordingly,' Manipur Police wrote on X. 'During the crossfire, a woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury.' 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 Local police arranged to transport the body to Churachandpur District Hospital for necessary legal formalities. According to a document shared by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI) battalion admitted to its role in the act that led to the death of Haokip. Following this admission, the JKLI agreed to resolve the matter under customary law and offered Rs 11 lakh as compensation to her family. Gracie, her niece, confirmed that the arrangement has been made. After Haokip's death, ITLF—comprising tribal organisations like Kuki Inpi, Paite Tribe Council, Simte Tribe Council, Vaiphei People's Council, Mizo People's Convention, and others—submitted a memorandum to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla Friday, urging immediate action over the killing. It said that the incident was a direct result of the violation of the buffer zone demarcated between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities. It stressed the urgent need to uphold the sanctity of these zones until a mutually agreed-upon Memorandum of Understanding or a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement is in place. 'We urge the government to take firm and proactive measures to prevent future breaches and to ensure that such loss of innocent lives does not recur,' the memorandum read. According to the senior district police officer quoted above, the incident did not occur inside the designated buffer zone, but around four-five km away. The area is close to both Langchingmanbi, a Kuki-dominated village, and Phubala, which has a Meitei majority. 'Even then, the distance between the buffer zone and the place where the incident took place is more than a kilometre,' the officer clarified. The officer added that there had been a longstanding dispute over farming in the area. The assailants were believed to have come from deeper in the hills. 'They are not locals and do not appear to be connected to the communities farming in the immediate vicinity.' A video clip of a man, who was with the Meitei man shot in the paddy field, being heavily circulated, shows him describing the incident. 'They came down, crossed the high canal, and opened fire. The firing happened so close we could see their faces,' he can be heard saying. 'I had to roll over and lie flat. If I had been standing, I wouldn't be alive.' The Kuki civil society organisations then called for the indefinite shutdown in hill areas in protest. 'Mrs Hoikholhing fell victim to the ongoing campaign of state-sponsored ethnic cleansing directed against the Kuki minority. Her assassination is a chilling reminder of the deliberate and relentless violence that has engulfed our people, abetted by the inaction and at times, complicity of the state apparatus,' read the joint press release by the organisations. The shutdown ended Saturday. The 'shutdown' which was imposed earlier in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts passed off without any untoward incidents and normalcy has been restored in the districts. — Manipur Police (@manipur_police) June 21, 2025 Five days ago, there was a similar flare-up in the Pukhao Leitanpokpi area of Manipur's Imphal East district, following a clash between members of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities over an alleged farmland dispute. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: 'Manipur shows double-engine sarkar has failed. Kuki-Meitei don't trust govt' says GK Pillai
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.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
Manipur's Churachandpur district grinds to halt over Kuki killing
Guwahati: An indefinite shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has brought life to a standstill across Manipur's Churachandpur district and other Kuki-dominated areas. The protest follows the killing of an elderly Kuki woman during a reported crossfire. The victim, Hoikholhing Haokip , wife of the Langchingmanbi village chief, was allegedly killed during an exchange of fire between security forces and unidentified militants on Thursday, June 19. The ITLF condemned the incident as a "grave injustice" and blamed the authorities for failing 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 organisation said in a statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Algeria: Jewelry On Sale For Half Price! (See Price List) Luxury Jewelry | search ads Undo Six Kuki civil society organisations have demanded a high-level investigation into the killing and called for swift justice for the victim's family. Meanwhile, violence continued in other parts of the state on the same day. In Bishnupur district, a farmer identified as Ningthoujam Biren Singh was shot in the arm by an unknown assailant while working in his paddy field in Phubala Maning. Live Events Singh, a resident of Phubala Awang Maning Leikai and a member of the Meitei community , was initially taken to the District Hospital in Bishnupur and later referred to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal. His condition is currently stable. In response to these incidents, combined security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and western areas of Phubala village. During the operation, security personnel came under fire and retaliated.
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
India.com
20-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
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)
