With two Meitei men allegedly being held captive since they went missing Friday, Manipur DGP Rajiv Singh has begun negotiations with the abductors and civil society groups in Kuki-Zomi-majority Kangpokpi district on Monday. The two were among three men from Thoubal district who were allegedly abducted when they strayed into Kangpokpi on Friday. One of them was released that day itself, and told reporters that they had “strayed into the Kuki area” while using Google Maps to get to a location in Imphal West district. Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said the police chief was tasked with going to Kangpokpi to undertake the negotiations. Of the demands made by the abductors, the CM only said that they wanted Kuki-Zomi inmates of Imphal’s Sajwa Jail to be transferred elsewhere. He did not comment on reports that one of the core demands is the release of Mark T Haokip, the self-proclaimed president of a group that aims for a separate Kuki nation. He was arrested from New Delhi on May 24, 2022, and is currently under NIA custody. “Until they are released safely, we cannot say anything, but we’re trying our best to release them unharmed,” said Singh. He said the aim was for the two youths to be released “unconditionally”. As part of the efforts to secure their release, senior security officials confirmed that discussions in Kangpokpi, led by the DGP, took place on Monday. The three young men who were allegedly abducted are Ningombam Johnson Singh, Oinam Thoithoi Singh, and Thokchom Thoithoiba Singh from Thoubal district in the Meitei-majority valley. Johnson was released that day itself, while a video of the other two men in captivity surfaced on Saturday night in which they could be heard appealing to Biren Singh to grant the abductors’ demands and ensure their release. The CM said on Monday, “The government is trying to release them unconditionally and unharmed… One has already been released unharmed. The state government and central government are both working very hard to rescue them safely and we are also sending the DGP to the district to talk with the concerned, so that both can be released unharmed.” Johnson, who was released, spoke to the media, saying the three of them had been stopped and taken away to a secluded place after they accidentally strayed into the Keithelmanbi area in Kangpokpi while they were using Google Maps to get to New Keithelmanbi in Imphal West district. “I looked up the venue on Google Maps. However, we realised that we had strayed into the Kuki area where we were stopped by Kuki women folk who questioned where we were going. From there, we were blindfolded and taken to a secluded place and held captives by some men. I was kept separately from the two others,” he said. Thangtinlen Haokip from the Committee on Tribal Unity, a civil society group based in Kangpokpi, said the main demand from those who took them captive is the moving of the inmates from the Imphal jail. “They (the three men) had crossed the buffer line and entered into our area that afternoon and were taken captive by volunteers. Since we, the leaders and the SoO groups (militant groups under Suspension of Operations agreement with the government), were coming under pressure from everyone, we released one of the captives. Now, we are having meetings to discuss how they should be released,” he said. “The DGP came and there were very heated discussions, but we want the inmates in the jail to be moved to somewhere in the hill areas so that they can sleep in peace. The police, jailors – everyone are Meiteis and they are not safe there,” Haokip said. Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed after the abduction of the men met the Chief Minister on Monday. “CM Biren assured that the missing youths would be rescued unharmed. For this, the DGP is camping in Kangpokpi. The JAC also made clear that we would intensify our democratic forms of protests if the state fails to live up to its assurance,” said JAC convenor Lourembam Subol.
