UKHRUL: Several private and passenger vehicles are reportedly stranded in Kangpokpi district in Manipur as residents of Ireng Naga village allegedly blocked the Ireng road, sources said.
As per the sources, residents of Ireng Naga village blocked the Ireng road at around 10 am on Monday after armed cadres suspected to be of the SoO group KNF-P allegedly vandalised public property in the village on Sunday night. The miscreants allegedly dismantled the entry gate of Ireng Naga village and defaced the village memorial stone by writing slogans such as “Kukiland” and “Stay Away.”
Following the incident, Ireng Naga villagers staged a peaceful protest by blocking the Ireng road, the sources said. Subsequently, around 1.30 pm, a leader of KNF-P allegedly contacted the chairman of Ireng Naga village, issuing threats and warning of dire consequences.
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The situation escalated further when around 30 armed Kuki underground cadres allegedly moved towards the village with intent to attack civilians, raising serious questions about the Suspension of Operations and its ground rules, the sources added. In a viral video, the cadres are seen carrying sophisticated weapons in front of security forces.
Meanwhile, Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) Sadar Hills Kangpokpi claimed that the “unprovoked” bomb attack at Kharam Vaiphei on January 8 and the subsequent blockade at Ireng Naga Village on January 12 against the Kuki-Zo commuters is nothing but a ploy by the valley-based organizations to inflame animosity between the tribal communities inhabiting within Kangpokpi.
“This intermittent road blockades against the Kuki-Zo commuters in areas occupied by the Liangmei and Rongmei Nagas has become the only means to provoke the Kuki-Zo by the valley Meitei/Meetei community since the imposition of Governor’s Rule by utilizing organizations under their payrolls such as the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) or Foothills Nagas (FNCC) from time to time,” CoTU said in a statement.
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It further stated, “While understanding the political and security aspects of the Naga community in Imphal valley as a minority, the Committee on Tribal Unity would like to remind them not to stoop so low only to become the mouthpiece or the foot soldier of the majoritarian Meetei/Meitei community in the valley but to abide their neutrality in these tribal persecution if not as a Christian community.”
CoTU urged the villagers of Ireng Naga to lift the road blockade against the commuters plying between Churachandpur and Kangpokpi at the earliest to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding between communities inhabiting the region.
Disclaimer: All information in this article is drawn from publicly available sources and/or insights provided by the experts consulted.