Two persons were killed and 30 others were injured in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Thursday after a mob stormed a government complex housing the offices of the superintendent of police and the district commissioner, an Assam Rifles official told Scroll.
The mob was protesting the suspension of a police head constable from the Kuki-Zo community after he was allegedly seen with armed men in a video.
The mob allegedly set fire to several buses and trucks used by security forces and the superintendent of police’s office, PTI reported.
“Mob numbering approx. 300-400 attempted to storm the office of SP CCP [superintendent of police and the district commissioner] today, pelting stones, etc.,” the Manipur Police said in a social media post. “The SF [security forces] including the RAF [Rapid Action Force], is responding appropriately by firing tear gas shells to control the situation. Things are under watch.”
On Friday, internet services in Churachandpur district were suspended for five days.
Late on Thursday, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, an umbrella body of the Kuki-Zo community, alleged that one of the persons known to have been killed at that time had been shot dead by the security forces.
On Thursday, Shivanand Surve, the superintendent of police of Churachandpur, had issued the suspension order to police head constable Siamlalpaul after a video went viral on social media showing him posing with “armed miscreants” on Wednesday.
“This [was] tantamount to very grave misconduct, being a member of the disciplined police force,” the police order against Siamlalpaul said.
Accusing Surve of acting unfairly against the Kuki-Zo community, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum gave him 24 hours to revoke the suspension order against the police head constable and leave the district. “Otherwise, Mr Surve will bear sole responsibility for any future incident,” the organisation said.
“What happened at Churachandpur last night [Thursday night] was the direct consequence of the discriminatory policies of the Manipur state government under [Chief Minister N] Biren Singh,” Janghaolun Haokip, secretary of Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex Kuki body in the state, told Scroll.
“It is also the consequence of the indecision of the central government allowing Mr Biren to act at will; against constitutional values and principles,” Janghaolun Haokip alleged. “It is a shame for India to turn a blind eye to the wanton misuse of power and authority by the Manipur state government against the minority Kukis.”
The fresh violence comes two days after three persons were killed in separate firing incidents in Manipur on Tuesday. Two of them were killed in the buffer zone between Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts, while one was killed while allegedly trying to loot weapons from a police training college in Imphal East.
Referring to the looting of arms from the armouries in Imphal, Paolienlal Haokip, the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from the Kuki-Zo community, claimed that no action was taken against the mob which burned down Kuki colonies in Imphal and looted the arms.
“A police personnel appeared in a viral video of Kuki volunteers and he got suspended?” Paolienlal Haokip said in a social media post on Thursday evening. “Is this a just state? Whoever supports an unjust state…”
However, state Cabinet minister and BJP leader Govindas Konthoujam accused Paolianlal Haokip of running a “hate campaign” and trying to create “division” in the wake of the mob violence there.
Manipur has been gripped by ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities since early May. Over 200 people have been killed since the conflict broke out and nearly 67,000 persons have been forced to flee their homes.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!