Kailenjang village burning triggers outrage in Manipur’s Kangpokpi, Kuki groups demand action

Three Kuki organisations have strongly condemned the alleged burning of civilian houses at Kailenjang village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, calling for immediate action against those responsible and questioning the government’s response to the incident.

The Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills (KI-SH), Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) and Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) Sadar Hills issued separate statements condemning the incident, which they alleged was carried out by armed miscreants.

According to the organisations, the incident took place on Monday, August 10, near Taphou in Kangpokpi district, at a time when a state government delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister L Susindro Meitei and Home Minister Khasim Ruiva was holding talks with the United Naga Council (UNC) at Senapati.

The KI-SH described the alleged burning of the village as a “grave act of violence” and a direct threat to the lives and homes of civilians. It questioned whether armed groups were attempting to demonstrate that they could operate with impunity while their political representatives were engaged in talks with the state government.

The KSO Sadar Hills alleged that armed miscreants set civilian houses on fire at around 1.30 pm. It said the incident occurred only around five kilometres from the venue where the government delegation was engaged in talks with UNC leaders.

Calling the incident an attempt to “sabotage peace”, the student body urged security and law-enforcement agencies to immediately identify and arrest those responsible.

The organisations also linked the latest incident to the ongoing tensions in Kangpokpi, including an economic blockade called by the UNC over the killings of six Naga individuals.

The KI-SH alleged that the blockade had continued for more than three months, causing shortages, price rise and hardship in Kangpokpi district. It called upon the state government to lift the blockade and take action against those responsible for violence, irrespective of their community or affiliation.

The group also questioned what it described as the continued use of the deaths of six Naga individuals to seek sympathy while attacks on Kuki villages allegedly continued.

“Grievances must be addressed through dialogue and due process, not coercion,” the KI-SH said, while urging the government to act “decisively, impartially and without discrimination”.

The KSO, meanwhile, warned that continued incidents of arson and intimidation could test the restraint of people in Kangpokpi. It said the district had maintained its commitment to peace despite what it described as repeated provocations.

The three organisations demanded that those responsible for the Kailenjang incident be arrested and prosecuted under the law.