SENAPATI, SEP 5: Another 37 villagers displaced from violence-hit Tapon Namsan (Lower), a Naga village from Kangpokpi district were evacuated to Senapati on Friday night, taking the total number of villagers evacuated from the affected Tapon villages to 82.
The villagers were brought to Senapati district headquarters at around 11:30 pm by Senapati Police and the 16 Assam Rifles before being shifted to a temporary relief centre set up by district civil society organisations in coordination with the Senapati district administration.
With the latest evacuation, 60 displaced villagers—including 23 from the earlier batch and 37 from Tapon Namsan (Lower)—are currently staying at the temporary relief centre.
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Speaking to the media at the relief centre, Tapon Namsan Village Authority treasurer Gladstone Abonmei, 52, recounted the September 1 attack and alleged that armed Kuki militants opened indiscriminate fire at around 4:15 am before setting residential houses ablaze.
According to Abonmei, the firing continued until around 12:45 pm, forcing villagers to flee their homes and take shelter wherever they could.
Abonmei, who was injured during the incident, said he and several other villagers hid beneath a large rock while the firing continued. He said the destruction of their homes and belongings had left the displaced families with little to survive on.
The villagers expressed gratitude to Senapati Police and the 16 Assam Rifles for reaching Tapon Namsan (Lower) and evacuating them safely to Senapati.
They also appealed to the authorities and security forces for adequate protection and assistance, saying they had been forced to leave their homes following the attack. “Whether we will live or die, we are not sure who is responsible for protecting our villagers. Is it the state or the Centre?” Abonmei questioned.
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Earlier, 45 villagers from neighbouring Tapon Namguang (Upper) village were evacuated to Senapati. Vulnerable persons, including elderly people, women and children, were accommodated at the temporary relief centre, while others took shelter with relatives.
The displacement follows the September 1 attack on three Liangmai Naga villages under T. Waichong Sub-Division in Kangpokpi district, in which more than 30 residential houses, including a church, were reportedly burnt down, leaving families displaced.
