In Churachandpur, Manipur, protesters and police officers clashed, killing two and hurting twenty-five. Hundreds of people demanded that the head constable be fired after a selfie of him with "armed miscreants" went viral. Protesters walked around the office of the Superintendent of Police and called for the constable to be put back on duty.
A bus and other buildings were set on fire by protesters, sparking violence. Protective agencies fought back. Mobile internet service has been cut off in the area because of violence.
Watch | A mob numbering "approximately 300-400" attempted to storm the office of the Superintendent of Police in Manipur’s Churachandpur town Thursday late evening. pic.twitter.com/sWngyZPcg9— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) February 15, 2024
Armed conflicts and ethnic tensions in Manipur
Ethnic tensions between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meiteis have resulted in gunfights between competing armed organisations, known as "village defence volunteers," in Manipur. The state police have come under fire from the Kuki-Zo tribes, who control Churachandpur district, for allegedly attacking their villages. In response, the police have pointed to the alleged role played by Kuki-Zo rebels in aiding the "village defence volunteers." Since May 2023, there have been ongoing ethnic conflicts that have left 50,000 people internally displaced and over 180 people dead.
Protesters claim the head constable was unfairly suspended
The protesters in Churachandpur alleged that the head constable had been unfairly suspended and called for his return. After a video clip of the constable making a video with armed men went viral on social media, a suspension order was issued. The constable is being investigated by the department. A Kuki-Zo civil society organisation called the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has accused Manipur Police of attacking Kuki-Zo villages and laid the blame for the incident on the chief of the Churachandpur police department.
A former civil society group leader seeks an FIR against a Manipur police officer
H Thangtinlen Daniel Mate has lodged a complaint against a senior officer for allegedly threatening to kill him in writing to the Manipur Police. Daniel Mate was the former leader of the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO), a Tengnoupal outfit. Mate reported that Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam, a retired Senior Superintendent of Police (Combat), had texted him a potentially fatal message late at night. Mate said there was nothing he had done to warrant this kind of warning. A FIR has not yet been submitted.
In conclusion, disagreements over land, resources, political representation, and affirmative action policies are at the core of the complicated problem of ethnic conflict in Manipur between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meiteis. There have been many internal displacements and a significant death toll as a result of the ongoing conflict.
(Image Source: MUltiple agencies )
(Inputs from agencies)
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