Ukhrul: In response to a spate of gun violence impacting innocent farmers in the Yaingpokpi area, leaders from the Tangkhul community have issued strong warnings and expressed their dismay over the recent incidents. Two prominent organizations, the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) and the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), have condemned the events, stressing the gravity of attacks on the Tangkhul Naga community and calling for action from security forces in the area.
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In a statement issued by the Tangkhul Naga Long, the organization highlighted that multiple incidents of gunfire have caused serious injuries to farmers during the busy harvest season. TNL said that these attacks have disrupted the peace of the agricultural season and warned that further unprovoked incidents would not go unanswered. Noting the repeated targeting of the Naga community in the conflict across districts such as Tamenglong, Senapati, and Imphal, the TNL criticized the security forces, accusing them of failing to respond effectively despite being stationed nearby. The statement urged the forces to fulfill their duty and restore a sense of safety among the local populace. “What is most reprehensible, is the total failure of the security forces who are deployed in good number in close vicinity of the areas to track the criminals down. All such incidents with criminal intent have happened within their earshot and yet dead silence has been their response,” TNL said.
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Meanwhile, the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong also expressed its outrage, citing the recent attack on November 11, in which Kanshok Horam, a young farmer from New Canaan village, was injured by gunfire while working in a paddy field. The TKS blamed the ongoing ethnic tension between the Meitei and Kuki communities, stating that the Tangkhul people have been caught in the crossfire. The student union stated it had previously refrained from retaliatory action to help stabilize the area but asserted that its patience has been misunderstood as weakness. The TKS has now announced an indefinite economic blockade to press for justice and protection, demanding accountability and resolution for the ongoing provocations against the Tangkhul community.
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The TKS acknowledged the Tangkhul Aze Katamnao Long (TAKL) and the Tangkhul Naga Valley Student Association (TNVSA) for their swift response by declaring an immediate shutdown, although this has now been lifted to ease community movement along the Imphal-Ukhrul highway. However, the TKS said that the economic blockade would remain until justice is delivered for the recent attacks on the Tangkhul people.
The Tangkhul CSOs and its leadership has made it clear that any consequences resulting from future escalations should be attributed to security forces’ negligence if they continue to disregard the Tangkhul Naga community’s safety.
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