‘Wish they had stayed back in Bihar’: Parents mourn Gopalganj teens shot dead in Manipur

The two teenagers, from Rajwahi village of Gopalganj, were found dead with bullet injuries in Manipur’s Kakching district Saturday evening. According to Manipur Police, they were shot by unknown armed assailants while returning to their rented rooms on bicycles after finishing their construction work at the Wabagai Keithel area. Police rushed the victims to a private hospital, but they were declared brought dead. The reason for the attack on them is yet to be determined, police said.

“We had sent Sonalal to Manipur with hopes that he would take care of us. There is little opportunity for livelihood in our area,” says Leelawati Devi, Sonalal’s mother. She lamented the decision to send them to “burning” Manipur, saying it was a big mistake.

The family have no agricultural land, and depend on earnings from odd jobs.

Sonalal, son of Birendra Mukhiya, and Dashrat, son of Mohanlal Ashani, had gone to Manipur in November along with several others from the village. The two earned Rs 500 each per day working in Manipur.

Among those who made the trip was also Dashrat’s brother Santosh. Their mother Radhika Devi says, “My two sons, Dashrat and his elder brother Santosh, had been working in Manipur. Santosh had a narrow escape and we lost Dashrat. Now, we think that my sons should have stayed back in Bihar.”

Dashrat’s father Mohan Sahani said that almost 40 per cent of the young men from their village have gone elsewhere to find work. “We depend on our sons,” he said.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh condemned the killings, calling it an “act of terrorism” that is a “direct assault on our values”. He announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the teenagers and said that “every possible effort is underway to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those responsible”.

“In this crucial juncture, we cannot ignore the possibility that this horrific crime is part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise our state and push it further towards chaos. We must stand together against these destructive forces and ensure that they do not succeed in creating fear and insecurity,” he said in a post on X. He added that the case would be transferred to the NIA if required “to ensure a fair and thorough inquiry”.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for their families.

“The CM has expressed deep sorrow over the killing of two migrant workers from the state in Manipur’s Kakching district. Heartfelt condolences to their family,” a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said.

“He has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the immediate family members of the deceased… (He) also directed officials of the state’s social welfare and labour departments to ensure that the family members get other benefits, too, as per existing provisions,” it said.