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With a steady job at the MNC and a comfortable home, Golan Nocal lived an interesting and peaceful life – until May 3rd, on May 4th, his house in Imphal was attacked and burned down.
“I lost everything. My house was completely burned down. My car was destroyed. I don’t have enough food in the camp I’m in now,” a distraught Nollack told News18. He is originally from Churachandpur, the epicenter of the violence that broke out in Manipur this week.
“I was at home when the mob attacked our home around 3 p.m. We climbed through the fence and got to our neighbors’ house, and from there, the Manipur Braves camp,” Nolac said.
Nearly 10,000 army troops, military police and central police were deployed to the state as riots broke out after demonstrations organized by tribes, including Kokes and Nagas, on Wednesday against a move to grant the majority of the Mitte community scheduled tribe status.
IIT graduate and teacher Santosh Aquigam underwent a similar ordeal as Naulak at Ningthemkol in Imphal. Akogam, which is located next to Kuki-controlled Paiteveng District, told News18 that Ningthemkol has seen nothing but harmony for years. That all changed on May 3-4.
“I finished my lessons and came back to see many houses in our area on fire. I heard the curfew was imposed on May 3rd. Around 8 pm some people came and started burning churches. The police took them away. We sent many Kukis away safely. By The next afternoon, all the cookies were gone from our neighborhood, but later their houses were burned down. The police fired tear gas. “My mom couldn’t breathe,” Akujam said.
The official death toll as announced by Kuldip Singh, Security Adviser to the Government of Manipur, is around 30. The Reserve Police Force lost a soldier who was on leave on 5 May, while intelligence agencies confirmed three deaths in Churachandpur on the same date.
trigger
It is widely accepted that the Manipur High Court’s order on ST booking for Meteis got the ball rolling. On 28 April, a mob vandalized and set fire to the public event venue of Chief Minister of Manipur N. Beren Singh in Churachandpur.
The Manipur Tribal Student Union (ATSUM) has given a rally call to protest against the Meiteis’ demand for ST status. The gathering in the Kuki-dominated district of Churachandpur drew thousands. A counter-march was organized by the Meteis and the Anglo-Kuki War Memorial Gate, which was highly regarded by the Kukis, was damaged. Officials said this triggered a chain reaction.
Churches were burned amid police inaction
Most of the people of Kukis and hills follow the Christian faith, while the Meiteis are Vaishnavite and Hindus. In Imphal, three churches were burned, which, observers say, gave a sectarian touch to the inter-tribal strife. As assessed by the central government, the local police were late to act. The DGP, which failed, was removed from the Kuki community, amid concerns that police personnel were acting on the basis of personal affiliations rather than SOP.
Conspiracy theories
Officials told News18 that rumors have been circulating about “illegal infiltrators supported by drug traffickers” playing a role in the conflict. This worked against Kukis as many in the community have family in Myanmar. Cookie leaders say the conspiracy theory is often used to paint a negative picture of the tribe.
Sharing the story of the drug seizure in Churachandpur on his Facebook page four days ago, Prime Minister Biren Singh said: “These are the people who are destroying our generation. They are destroying our natural forests to grow poppies, further inflaming societal issues to do the drug business.”
Easy arms
According to Manipur DGP P Dongel, armories were looted by mobs in many places.
On May 5, a patrol party was ransacked and disarmed. Insurgency groups such as KNA and KNO have also made weapons and ammunition readily available,” an official told News18.
Camp residents in Imphal said they still hear gunshots in the town at night, making them fear for their safety.
Central Reserve Police Force Chief and Security Adviser to Manipur Kuldip Singh said 84 weapons have been recovered so far and 10 people have been arrested, adding that efforts are underway to rescue Metis who are still stuck in Churachandpur. He said, “The problem is still in fact in some parts of Imphal, Moreh and Churachandpur (sic). He added that 28 to 30 people have died so far in the violence.
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