18 November
National Desk
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
Tensions continue to rise in Manipur’s Imphal Valley after an angry mob set fire to the houses of three BJP MLAs and one Congress MLA late Saturday night. Officials reported that protesters also attempted to attack the residence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh but were stopped by the police.
The unrest erupted after the bodies of three women and three children from the Meitei community were found in Jiribam district. The discovery led to violent protests, prompting the government to impose an indefinite curfew in five districts of the Imphal Valley. Internet services remain suspended, and while the situation is calm this morning, the tension persists.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), representing the Kuki-Zo community, has refused to cremate the bodies of 10 Kuki-Zo youths killed during an alleged encounter with the CRPF. ITLF claims these individuals were village volunteers, while the Manipur government asserts they were terrorists.
ITLF spokesperson Ginza Wolzong stated, “We will not cremate the bodies until the post-mortem reports are handed over to the families.” The clash occurred after the bodies of two women and a child were found in the Barak River on Saturday, and the remains of a woman and two children were recovered Friday night. Authorities suspect they were abducted and killed by terrorists.
The killings have fueled further communal tensions in the region, with both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities at odds over recent events. Security forces remain deployed to prevent further violence, while the state government continues its investigation into the killings and the subsequent clashes.
The situation in Manipur highlights deep-rooted ethnic divisions, posing significant challenges to restoring peace and stability in the region.