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India Today
17-05-2025
- India Today
Manipur: Case against Kuki student leader who threatened Meiteis ahead of festival
A case has been registered against Paojakhup Guite, president of the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Delhi, after a video surfaced on social media allegedly showing him issuing threats to the Meitei community, warning them not to cross the buffer zone to attend the upcoming Shirui Lily Festival in two communities have been at loggerheads, resulting in widespread ethnic violence that has ravaged the state since May Police confirmed an FIR has been registered against Guite and stated that a search operation to nab him has been launched. "As regards to one Paojakhup Guite, President of KSO Delhi, who threatened the Meitei community in a video circulated on social media, an FIR has been registered. Raids are being conducted in nearby districts for his immediate arrest," Manipur Police said in a post on an effort to expedite the search, authorities have also reached out to police departments in neighbouring states — Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya — seeking assistance in locating and apprehending Guite."The police of neighbouring states of Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland & Meghalaya etc have been requested for arresting him as quickly as possible. All necessary security arrangements shall be made to ensure security of people attending the Shirui festival," the post further security has been heightened ahead of the 5th Shirui Lily Festival, scheduled to take place from May 20 to 24 in Manipur's Ukhrul district. Law enforcement agencies have assured the public of robust security arrangements to ensure the festival proceeds peacefully and without Shirui Lily Festival, a state-level cultural celebration named after the rare Shirui Lily found in the region, is being held outside Imphal city for the first Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla recently chaired a preparatory meeting of the festival's organising facilitate public participation, the Manipur State Transport (MST) has announced special bus services from Imphal to Ukhrul from May 20 to 24. Three buses will operate daily between the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT), Imphal, and Shirui Public Ground, Ukhrul, with tickets priced at Rs 200 per continue to monitor the situation closely and have urged citizens to maintain peace and harmony during the festival ETHNIC VIOLENCEOn May 3, 2023, ethnic violence erupted in Manipur between the Meitei people, a majority that lives in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo tribal community from the surrounding hills following a High Court's order that recommended a Scheduled Tribe status for the dominant Meitei led to the death of nearly 250 people and 60,000 others were displaced. This decision was later criticised by the Supreme Watch IN THIS STORY#Manipur
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
FIR against Kuki student union president ‘for threatening' Meiteis
GUWAHATI: Manipur police have filed an FIR against Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) Delhi and NCR president Paojakhup Guite after a video surfaced showing him threatening to block Meitei people from crossing buffer zones to attend next week's Shirui Lily festival in Ukhrul district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Police launched a search to arrest Guite. Police in Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya have also been asked to assist in his arrest, officials said Saturday. The festival celebrates state flower Shirui Lily, found only in Tangkhul Naga-majority hills of Ukhrul. Police have assured protection for participants traveling to Ukhrul.
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Business Standard
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Kuki group warns Meiteis against entering 'their areas' during Ukhrul fest
A group representing the Kuki community in Manipur has issued a stern warning to Meiteis, advising them not to enter Kuki-dominated areas during the upcoming Shirui Lily Festival, scheduled to be held in Ukhrul district from May 20-24. The warning came from the Kuki Zo Village Volunteer Eastern Zone, which released a statement cautioning Meiteis against entering their territory. "We strongly advise all members of the Meitei community to refrain from entering or crossing our areas at any time. Any violation of this direction will be considered intentional, and individuals shall bear full responsibility for any consequences that may follow," the group said. Festival route passes through sensitive zones The Shirui Lily Festival, which draws visitors from various parts of the state, celebrates the Shirui Lily — Manipur's state flower — which blooms in the hills of Ukhrul district. Although Ukhrul is predominantly inhabited by the Naga community, the route from Imphal — where Meiteis form the majority — to the festival site passes through several Kuki-majority villages. Meanwhile, Tangkhul Naga social worker Asang Kashar has criticised the Kuki group's statement. "This is directly a challenge to every citizen of Manipur and shows they (Kukis) are against peace," said Kashar. In light of the security concerns, Manipur Director General of Police Rajiv Singh recently visited Ukhrul to oversee preparations for the festival and assess the security arrangements in the region. Not the first such warning The latest warning is not an isolated incident: in April, six Kuki tribal bodies, including the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), jointly urged Meiteis to stay away from Kuki-Zo-Hmar dominated areas. The organisations expressed concern over reports that some Meiteis were planning to visit the Thangting or Thangjing Hills in Churachandpur district to perform the Ching Kaba ritual. Manipur has been gripped by ethnic violence since May 2023, primarily involving the Meitei and Kuki communities. The ongoing unrest has resulted in the deaths of at least 260 people and the displacement of thousands across the state, according to a PTI report. No violence in Manipur for nearly 4 months: Shah In April itself, the Lok Sabha passed the statutory resolution moved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the approval of the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur. Shah said that there has been no violence in Manipur for nearly four months, from December to March, and provisions for food, medicines, and medical facilities have been ensured in the camps. Amit Shah's most recent visit to Manipur was on April 15, 2024. During this one-day visit, he campaigned for the BJP candidate in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary constituency. Prior to this, his last significant visit was in late May 2023, when he spent several days in Manipur to review the security situation and meet with various community leaders during the peak of the conflict.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Security tightened in Manipur ahead of ethnic strife's second anniversary
Imphal, Security has been tightened across Manipur as a precautionary measure ahead of the second anniversary of the start of the ethnic strife in the state on May 3, 2023, officials said on Friday. Police have intensified frisking and vehicle checks at key locations in Imphal, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi district headquarters to monitor the movement of anti-social elements. Security has also been beefed up in and around Khuman Lampak in Imphal, where the Manipur People's Convention is scheduled. Central forces have been deployed in front of Kangla Gate, officials added. "The security beef-up is a precautionary measure to prevent any unwanted activities by anti-social elements in the state, particularly on Saturday," an official said. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity , a Meitei social organisation, has called on the public to suspend all activities on May 3 and attend the convention. Volunteers have used public address systems to remind citizens of the violence over the past two years and to highlight the alleged threat to the territorial and administrative integrity of the state. The Kuki Students' Organisation and Zomi Students' Federation have also called for a shutdown on May 3 in all Kuki-dominated areas. They encouraged participation in the observation event planned by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum at the Churachandpur district headquarters. In a joint statement, the student bodies said, "May 3 marks the completion of two years since the outbreak of ethnic violence," and urged everyone "to observe the day in silence by closing all educational institutions and business establishments." They also called on people to hoist black flags at their residences as a mark of mourning. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. In a separate development, during a police operation, two active members of the banned outfit UNLF were arrested from North AOC in Imphal West district. They have been identified as Huidrom Pishak and Hanglem Thoiba Meitei. A 9mm pistol loaded with two live rounds was recovered from their possession.
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kuki houses set ablaze in Manipur's Naga-dominated district
GUWAHATI Unknown miscreants on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) set fire to several houses in two Kuki villages of Manipur's Naga-dominated Kamjong, a district bordering Myanmar, prompting the authorities to impose prohibitory orders. Most villagers were away tilling their fields when the miscreants attacked the Gampal and Haiyang villages in the morning. The villages are close to the Myanmar border. Kamjong's District Magistrate, Rangnamei Rang Peter, said restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were imposed as such disturbances could lead to serious breaches of peace, endanger public tranquillity, and pose risks to human lives and property. The order, applicable in and around the two villages in the district's Sahamphung Subdivision, prohibited the movement of any person outside their residences and any other act or activity that could disturb the law and order in the area. Several Kuki-Zo organisations, including the Kuki Inpi Manipur and Kuki Students' Organisation, condemned the incident and demanded immediate rebuilding of the two villages, proper rehabilitation of the affected families, and fair compensation for the losses they suffered. They also demanded the deployment of an adequate number of personnel of 'neutral security forces' to ensure the safety of the villagers and prevent further violence, apart from the supply of essentials, including food, medical aid, and shelter to the displaced or affected. 'These heinous attacks have terrorised innocent Kuki civilians and once again imperilled the already fragile peace and stability in the region,' the organisations said in a joint statement. 'We urge the government to act with immediacy, impartiality, and integrity. The people of Gampal, Haiyang, and the wider Kuki-Zo community deserve not only protection but also justice and peace. The Kuki-Zo community views this act of terror seriously, as this would create misunderstanding between communities in the otherwise peaceful area,' the organisations said. Manipur, under the President's Rule since February 13, has been trying to recover from the wounds inflicted by an ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities that broke out on May 3, 2023. The clashes left more than 250 dead and displaced some 60,000 others. The State has a history of such conflicts between different communities. One of the bloodiest was the Kuki-Naga conflict in the early 1990s that claimed more than 1,000 lives.
