Imphal: Tensions flared in Manipur‘s Jiribam district after the killing of a 59-year-old Meitei man, Soibam Saratkumar Singh, on Thursday. The incident sparked accusations and violence, leaving over 100 houses burnt and displacing hundreds.
The district administration clamped an indefinite curfew in Jiribam and adjoining Tamenglong to contain the situation. Both Meitei and tribal organizations pointed fingers at each other for triggering the unrest.
Meitei Groups Allege Kuki Involvement:
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei body, accused Kuki militants and immigrants of orchestrating the violence to further their demand for a separate administration. They claimed evidence linked Kuki “Narco-Terrorist groups” to Singh’s abduction and murder.
Tribal Groups Denounce Attacks:
The Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee (ITAC) called a shutdown in the affected areas and warned against police action. Another tribal organization, the Kuki Inpi, condemned the burning of Kuki houses and appealed to authorities to stop the violence.
Additional security personnel, including Manipur police commandos, were deployed to control the situation. Officials confirmed houses in several villages were burnt down by “armed attackers.”
Jiribam, bordering Assam, has a diverse population and had remained relatively peaceful during the year-long ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kuki-Zomi communities in other parts of Manipur.
The ongoing conflict has claimed over 220 lives and displaced over 70,000 people. The violence has also destroyed houses, public property, and religious structures.