Stop or there will be consequences: Manipur CM after Armyman is shot at

According to Army inputs, this incident took place when there was “unprovoked firing” by “armed miscreants” from Kanto Sabal in Imphal West towards Chingmang village.

“Army Columns resorted to controlled retaliatory fire keeping in view the presence of villagers in the area. One Army soldier sustained gunshot wound, evacuated to Military Hospital Leimakhong and is stable,” said a statement from the Spearcorps of the Indian Army.

Residents of Chingmang said five houses in the village were set on fire close to midnight, though they were unable to identify who the perpetrators were. The area is located a few hundred metres from the Leimakhong military garrison.

Though the violence, which has been taking place in Manipur since May 3, has largely been between the state’s Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities, one of the houses burnt on Sunday night belonged to a Naga family.

Akhon Liangmai, owner of the house, said that the locality has a mixed population of Kukis, Meiteis and Nagas.

“We urge the government to look into the matter seriously. Nagas are not against any of the tribes. We want to live peacefully with everyone… All the Naga houses in the area put up a note identifying themselves. Yet, my house was burnt. Some of the notes were also torn off by miscreants,” she said.

The area is located at the border of Imphal West district in the valley and the Kangpokpi district in the hills. With 156 columns of the Indian Army deployed in Manipur, most of their operations so far have been carried out in such “fringe areas”, which have been the major sites of exchange of fire and arson in the second wave of violence that has engulfed the state since May 28.

There have also been multiple attacks on the homes of elected representatives and incidents of looting of armouries within Imphal, where security has largely been handled by state forces and the Rapid Action Force. According to a defence source, the Army’s role in the city has been limited since they require assignment of executive magistrates for the same. This is needed in parts of Manipur for the first time in four decades, following the limited repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.