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Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Manipur's Churachandpur district grinds to halt over Kuki killing
Guwahati: An indefinite shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has brought life to a standstill across Manipur's Churachandpur district and other Kuki-dominated areas. The protest follows the killing of an elderly Kuki woman during a reported crossfire. The victim, Hoikholhing Haokip , wife of the Langchingmanbi village chief, was allegedly killed during an exchange of fire between security forces and unidentified militants on Thursday, June 19. The ITLF condemned the incident as a "grave injustice" and blamed the authorities for failing to protect civilians in conflict-hit areas. "This is not just a tragic loss for one family, but a glaring example of the state's breakdown in law and order," the organisation said in a statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Algeria: Jewelry On Sale For Half Price! (See Price List) Luxury Jewelry | search ads Undo Six Kuki civil society organisations have demanded a high-level investigation into the killing and called for swift justice for the victim's family. Meanwhile, violence continued in other parts of the state on the same day. In Bishnupur district, a farmer identified as Ningthoujam Biren Singh was shot in the arm by an unknown assailant while working in his paddy field in Phubala Maning. Live Events Singh, a resident of Phubala Awang Maning Leikai and a member of the Meitei community , was initially taken to the District Hospital in Bishnupur and later referred to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal. His condition is currently stable. In response to these incidents, combined security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and western areas of Phubala village. During the operation, security personnel came under fire and retaliated.
India Today
20-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
'Indefinite shutdown' in Manipur's Kuki areas after woman killed in crossfire
An indefinite shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has brought daily life to a grinding halt across Churachandpur district and other Kuki-dominated regions of Manipur. The protest was launched in response to the killing of Hoikholhing, wife of the Langchingmanbi village chief. She was allegedly killed during a crossfire between security forces and armed militants on Thursday, June incident occurred during a search operation launched by security personnel in Langchingmanbi village, hours after a separate gun attack in Phubala, Bishnupur district, where Ningthoujam Biren, a 60-year-old Meitei farmer, was shot and injured by unidentified assailants while working in his paddy a strongly-worded statement, the Kuki Inpi Youth Affairs, a youth wing of a Kuki organisation, alleged that 'Hoikholhing was shot dead during a crossfire between Central security forces and armed Meitei militants.' The organisation blamed what it called the negligence of security forces and warned that the government must act to prevent a further rise in unrest. The ITLF condemned the killing as a 'grave injustice' and said the incident highlighted the ongoing failure of authorities to protect civilians in conflict-hit areas. 'This is not just a tragic loss for one family, but a glaring example of the state's breakdown in law and order,' the ITLF said in its support of the shutdown, six Kuki civil society organisations have expressed solidarity and demanded a high-level investigation into the circumstances leading to Hoikholhing's death. They also called for accountability and immediate justice for the victim's Friday morning, Churachandpur town wore a deserted look, with bandh supporters blocking roads, including the strategic Tiddim Road (NH-150) that connects Imphal with Mizoram via Churachandpur. Markets, educational institutions, and government offices remained shut, though essential services such as pharmacies and medical facilities were exempted from the latest flare-up comes amid ongoing ethnic unrest that has plagued Manipur since May 3, 2023, when large-scale violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The region remains heavily militarized, with additional state and central forces deployed in the wake of the recent incidents to maintain have appealed for calm and reassured the public that investigations into both the Churachandpur and Phubala shootings are underway. However, with tensions running high and community trust in law enforcement eroding, the indefinite shutdown threatens to deepen the divide and prolong the instability gripping the the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged the government to take immediate and firm action to address the rising threat perception faced by farmers during the current cultivation has demanded that the government step up its efforts by deploying security forces across the first line of hill terrain and foothill ranges that border the valley's agricultural zones. 'This is the working season. Our farmers must have the right to safely access and cultivate their fields. Without a secure environment, they are being denied this basic right,' he said. Warning of possible mass agitation, COCOMI has emphasised the need for immediate action to push back armed groups and prevent future Watch
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur districts tense after day of violence
GUWAHATI Two districts of Manipur remained tense on Friday (June 20, 2025), a day after unknown gunmen injured a Meitei farmer and a Kuki woman was shot dead later. A shutdown was observed across the Churachandpur district, dominated by the Kuki-Zo people, to protest the woman's killing. She was identified as Hoikholhing Haokip, the wife of the chief of Langchingmanbi village adjoining the Bishnupur district, where the Meitei farmer was attacked. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum had called the shutdown, demanding 'immediate action against those responsible for this atrocity, concrete steps from the Centre to ensure the protection of tribal lives and territory, and an independent investigation into the repeated buffer zone violations.' The people of Bishnupur, one of the five districts comprising the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley, continued to block a highway leading to the Churachandpur district. They demanded the arrest of the assailants of farmer Ningthoujam Biren Singh, who was shot in his left arm on Thursday. Earlier, the Manipur Police said the security forces came under fire from unknown armed miscreants after the farmer was shot in Bishnupur's Phubala area. '...the forces retaliated accordingly. During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury,' it said. Manipur, scarred by the ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zos and Meiteis, was relatively calm after the imposition of the President's Rule on February 13 this year. More than 250 people had died and some 60,000 were displaced in the clashes that had erupted on May 3, 2023. Also read | Manipur marks two years of ethnic violence by remembering victims Meanwhile, the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) condemned the Phubala incident, saying it suspected a conspiracy between the attackers and the security forces. It said the incident happened near a bunker of the Sashastra Seema Bal, whose personnel were inactive. The organisation underlined the importance of holding accountable the security personnel found complicit or negligent, apart from the attackers. 'The people of Manipur express deep dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Home Affairs' performance, as the region continues to grapple with ongoing conflicts and violence despite the government's claims of working towards restoring normalcy,' the AMUCO said. The organisation also questioned the work done by security adviser Kuldiep Singh, who was sent by the Centre to resolve the ongoing crisis plaguing the State.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Manipur: Indefinite bandh in Churachandpur district following woman's death
Imphal: Normal life in Manipur's Churachandpur district was brought to a standstill after an indefinite shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo body. The shutdown comes in wake of the death of Hoikholhing, a woman from the Kuki community, who was allegedly killed during a crossfire between security forces and armed militants. Hoikholhing, said to be the wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi in Churachandpur, succumbed to a bullet injury during an exchange of fire. The incident occurred while security forces were conducting a search operation in response to an earlier shooting incident in which Ningthoujam Biren, a 60-year-old farmer from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in the left arm by unidentified armed assailants on Thursday. Also Read: Elderly Kuki woman killed in cross firing between security forces, armed men in Manipur Condemning the incident, six Kuki civil society organisations have expressed solidarity with the ITLF and extended support to the indefinite shutdown. Churachandpur town wore a deserted look on Friday, with roads blocked by the bandh supporters, particularly the Tiddim Road (NH-150 connecting Imphal and Mizoram via Churachandpur). Educational institutions, markets, and both government and private offices remained closed. However, essential services, including pharmacies and medical facilities, were exempted from the shutdown. In a statement issued on Friday, the Kuki Inpi Youth Affairs, a youth wing of a Kuki organisation, alleged that 'Hoikholhing was shot dead in a crossfire between security forces and armed militants inside her village.' Over 250 people have been killed after ethnic clashes broke out between the Meiteis, who live in the valley, and Kukis, who dominate the surrounding hills, in May 2023.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Day after violence, tensions prevail in Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts in Manipur
GUWAHATI: Tensions prevail in Manipur's Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, a day after a Meitei farmer was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant, and a Kuki woman died in crossfire. Ningthoujam Biren, the farmer from Phubala area of Bishnupur district, was fired upon when he was working in his paddy field along with two other farmers. He was injured in the incident. After the incident, security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok and the western areas of Phubala. 'During the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed miscreants, and the forces retaliated accordingly. During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury. She was later identified as Hoikholhing, wife of Langchingmanbi village chief,' Manipur Police said in a statement. Cases have been registered in connection with the incidents, and an investigation is underway, the statement further stated. Bishnupur adjoins Churachandpur. Bishnupur is a Meitei-majority district while Churachandpur is a Kuki-majority district. The locals of Bishnupur on on June 19 blocked a highway in protest against the attack on the farmer. They demanded the arrest of the assailant and threatened to enforce a shutdown from June 20. It was learnt that Meitei civil society organisations and locals were holding a meeting where they would decide their future course of actions. Meanwhile, a shutdown was being observed in Churachandpur in protest against the killing of the Kuki woman. It was called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum. The organisation demanded, 'immediate action against those responsible for this atrocity, concrete steps from the central government to ensure the protection of tribal lives and territory, and an independent investigation into the repeated buffer zone violations.' The ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kukis, which had erupted on May 3, 2023, left over 250 people dead and some 60,000 others displaced.
