Imphal: The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) has strongly condemned the brutal murder of Mirangge Chiru, a resident of Kangchup Chiru village in Kangpokpi district, on July 15, 2024. The murder, KIM said, allegedly carried out by radical armed Meitei militias suspected to be members of the Arambai Tenggol, has shocked the community.
A disturbing video that circulated on social media showed Mr. Chiru being tortured and interrogated by his captors. The video suggests that he was accused of being an informer for the Kuki-Zo tribal community and forced to confess under duress to taking Rs. 20,000 as a service charge from the Kuki-Zo, KIM said.
Mr. Marangngir, a former leader of the Kangchup Tribal Youth Organisation—the apex body of Kuki and Naga Tribal Youth Organizations in the Kangchup area—a theologian, and a devout Christian, had no connection to the ongoing Kuki-Zo and Meitei conflict. KIM asserted that the accusations against the victim by the Arambai Tenggol are baseless and serve only as a cover for their inhumane and disingenuous acts.
Must read | UNC & COCOMI Condemn ‘cold blooded murder’ of Marangir Chiru
KIM further said that this incident is part of a troubling pattern of threats and violence by the Arambai Tenggol and Meitei terrorists against minority tribals. “On September 16, 2023, one Serto Thangthang Kom (41), a soldier in the Defence Service Corps (DSC) on leave, was abducted from his residence at Tarung in Imphal and was shot dead by Meitei terrorists. Again, on July 15, 2023, Lucy Maring, a 55-year-old woman with mental illness, was also shot dead by armed Meitei terrorists. The list goes on,” the press release added.
The Kuki Inpi Manipur emphasized the strong bonds shared with the villagers of Kangchup Chiru and other tribals in the area. Despite these close affinities, KIM respects the identity and neutrality chosen by these minority tribes in the ongoing conflict.
Related | Kidnapped Man from Kangchup Chiru Village Succumbs to Injuries