Amid gunfights and abductions, tensions spike in Manipur’s Ukhrul as release of 21 is followed by discovery of 2 bodies

In the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Home Minister Govindas Kothoujam said that a gunfight had reportedly occurred between around 6.30 am and 9 am on Wednesday at Mapithel hill range in Ukhrul district between two armed groups after two Kuki villagers were allegedly abducted. During the gunfight, one civilian, Lalminthang Haokip (40), sustained a minor bullet injury and was evacuated to a health centre in Kangpokpi district, he said.

A security official in Ukhrul said, “According to information received, Tangkhul volunteers went to the Thawai Kuki hill area to stop the cultivation of poppy there, and ‘detained’ or abducted two villagers from there. The rest of the villagers ran away, and armed volunteers were mobilised on both sides, and there was a shootout between the two groups. The local Kukis say that, separately, two villagers who had gone to repair a water pipeline have been missing since that time.”

It was amid these tensions that Kuki groups stopped vehicular traffic on the Imphal-Ukhrul road in the area. A statement by the Shangkai Village Authority on Wednesday said, “Out of deep concern for the safety of the detained and missing villagers, members of the public have stopped vehicles plying along the Ukhrul road, demanding the safe and immediate release of those who have been detained and clarification regarding those who remain missing.”

Twenty-one passengers of three vehicles travelling on the road were allegedly held captive by the groups, leading to efforts that went well into the night by the government to secure their release. Of the 21 people, 18 were Tangkhul Nagas, and three were from other communities.

“In the meantime, one of the Kukis who had been held by the Tangkhuls managed to run away. During the negotiations to secure the release of the 21 hostages, what they wanted was for the other person to be released and the two missing to be found and rescued. There were another six people who were stranded in the hill area after the gunfight, and they wanted them to be rescued as well. Then, the other person who was held was released, and the locations of the six stranded people were secured. However, the two missing people were not found at the time. Still, they agreed to release the 21 people with the assurance that the search would continue, and they were released at around 2.30-3.00 am,” said a security official.

Later, at around 8.30 am on Thursday, the bodies of two men were found by BSF forces.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh announced that the government will hand over the case related to their killing to the NIA for investigation and that ex gratia would be provided to their families.

However, as of Thursday afternoon, their bodies had not been moved from the location in which they were found.

“The locals do not want the local Ukhrul police to approach the area since most of the personnel are Tangkhuls. Efforts are ongoing to arrange for a way for their bodies to be recovered and for the postmortem to be conducted. The situation is extremely tense,” said an official.

Thowai Kuki and Shangkai are located at a distance of around 5 km from Litan Sareikhong, which has been the epicentre of violence, arson and sustained tensions between the local Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities in Ukhrul over the past month.