Manipur CM assures all-out efforts to rescue abducted villagers amid tensions

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on May 19 said the state government is making all possible efforts to defuse the tense situation arising from the abduction of several people in the hill districts of the state.

The Chief Minister made the statement during a meeting with a delegation of the Liangmai Naga Council and the Liangmai Naga Women Union at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Imphal. The delegation urged the government to ensure the immediate rescue and release of six missing Liangmai men, including a pastor, who were allegedly abducted by unknown armed men from Kangpokpi district on May 12.

According to officials, more than 38 people were abducted and held hostage by armed groups in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts on May 13, shortly after three church leaders were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi. While 31 people have reportedly been released so far, claims persist that several others remain in captivity.

During the meeting, Liangmai community leaders reportedly told the Chief Minister that even if the six missing men from Konsakhul village were dead, their bodies should at least be returned to their families to perform the last rites.

The delegation also demanded deployment of additional police personnel in vulnerable Liangmai villages in Kangpokpi district to ensure security.

Responding to the concerns, the Chief Minister informed the delegation that state police and CRPF personnel are carrying out combing operations in suspected areas to trace the missing persons.

Appealing for calm, Singh said the government was making “all-out efforts” to restore peace and normalcy in the affected areas and urged all communities to refrain from violence and cooperate in maintaining harmony.

Meanwhile, the apex Kuki body, Kuki Inpi Manipur, claimed that 14 people from the Kuki community were still being held hostage.

Manipur has remained affected by ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023, in which at least 260 people have been killed and thousands displaced.