A total of 38 persons belonging to the Kuki and Naga communities have been held hostage by various militant groups in Manipur. Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthujam announced the news on Thursday, saying that there has been a fresh outbreak of violence in the state.
Three Christian leaders were shot dead by suspected militants in Kangpokpi district, Manipur administrative officials said. Four others were injured in this incident. Meanwhile, a civilian was killed and his wife injured in a gunfight in Noni district.
In all, more than 38 people from different communities have been held captive by various groups, Home Minister Konthujam said. We are actively negotiating with various civil society groups and political leaders to secure their release. He told reporters this.
Konthujam was speaking while meeting the family of a civilian killed in the attack near Jojongtek in Noni district on Wednesday evening.
Three Naga MLAs accompanied the minister during his visit to JNIMS Hospital in Imphal East district. The body has been kept there for post-mortem.
“We have informed the Union Home Ministry and efforts are being made to release them. We suspect that some people do not want peace to return to Manipur,” he said.
The casualties are Tapou Kuki village chairman L. Changloi, who lodged a written complaint with Senapati Police Station on Wednesday evening In the complaint, he alleged that 23 villagers were abducted by unidentified persons in seven trucks and one car. The Mizoram Chief Minister strongly condemned the killing of the church leaders and demanded swift arrest of the culprits.
Meanwhile, public life in at least three districts of Manipur – Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Chandel – came to a virtual standstill on Thursday due to a bandh called by the Kuki-jo and Naga communities.
Incidentally, Manipur has been in turmoil since May following the resurgence of long-standing disputes between the Kuki and Meitei communities of the northeastern state. As a result, nearly 50,000 people from both communities died in the next two years. Fifty thousand families have been displaced.
After the change of chief minister, peace was expected to return to the state. Before this, President’s rule was in force in the state for a long time. Although there is temporary peace there, the state government is worried about violence again.
