24-04-2025
Houses Torched in Two Villages of Manipur's Kamjong District, Admin Issues Prohibitory Orders
New Delhi: Several houses in two Kuki villages of Manipur's Kamjong district were burned down by unknown miscreants on Wednesday (April 23) morning.
As a result, the district administration has imposed prohibitory orders in the two affected villages of the Naga-majority district under section 163 of the BNSS, reported New Indian Express.
The attack took place at Gampal and Haiyang villages, which are situated near the Myanmar border. Most villagers were working in their fields at the time of the attack.
District Magistrate Rangnamei Rang Peter issued the prohibitory orders which barred the movement of any person outside their residences and any other act or activity that could disturb the law and order in the area.
Kuki-Zo organisations including Kuki Inpi Manipur and Kuki Students' Organisation have condemned the incident. They have demanded that the villages be rebuilt and proper compensation be given to the affected families, who must also be rehabilitated.
'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.
In the statement, the organisations also demanded that 'neutral security forces' should be deployed to ensure the safety of villagers and prevent such incidents in the future.
'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 statement added.
There have been numerous incidents of violence in Manipur since May 2023, due to confrontations between the minority Zo ethnic tribes (Zomi-Kuki-Mizo) and the majority Meitei community over land rights and influence in the region. The incidents of ethnic violence have claimed over 250 lives from both the communities including women and children – even infants – highlighting the escalating crisis in Manipur.
