Hyderabad: Protests broke out in Manipur's Kangpokpi district after the mutilated bodies of two missing youths were recovered in neighbouring Senapati district, leading to clashes between agitators and security forces, police said on Monday (November 02).
Security personnel fired tear gas shells and resorted to baton charges to disperse protesters who pelted them with stones during demonstrations on Sunday night. A protester sustained a head injury after allegedly being hit by a tear gas shell. His condition is stable, officials said.
Agitators also burnt tyres and blocked several roads using wooden logs and boulders. Police have managed to clear some of the blocked stretches. Additional security forces were deployed in the district on Monday morning as tension continued to remain high, a district official said.
The protests followed the recovery of the bodies of T Chongloi (21) and Paoginlal Hangsing (20), who had gone missing from Taphou Kuki village on October 29. Their mutilated bodies were found stuffed inside gunny bags at a banana farm in a hilly area of Senapati district on Sunday morning during a search operation.
Deputy Chief Ministers Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho condemned the killings and called for an investigation.
In a statement, Kipgen said, "What began with hopes of safe return ended in tragedy." She demanded that the "heinous crimes be thoroughly investigated" and those responsible be brought to justice.
Dikho also condemned the killings, saying, "Such senseless acts of violence and killing must be condemned unequivocally. The ongoing violence in our state is unacceptable. No grievances or disagreements can ever justify taking a human life."
Kipgen belongs to the Kuki community, while Dikho is a Naga. Meanwhile, the Naga Peoples' Organisation (NPO) raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the recovery of the bodies and called for an independent investigation.
NPO president Kuba Peter told reporters, "We condemn any killing, but we also equally condemn any manipulation of evidence or deliberate attempt to inflame communal tensions. We demand an impartial, transparent and independent investigation to establish the truth, ensure accountability and prevent further communal tensions."
The Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), meanwhile, demanded Dikho's resignation over the incident. It also sought the transfer of Taphou Kuki village from the jurisdiction of the Senapati Superintendent of Police to the Kangpokpi SP.
The committee further said the bodies would not be taken to the village for the final rites until those responsible for the killings were arrested.
Joint teams of the police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Assam Rifles had been conducting search operations along the boundary of Kangpokpi and Senapati districts to trace the missing youths.
A police officer said the two bodies were recovered during one such operation. In a separate statement, the police said an extensive search operation was conducted by joint teams comprising Manipur Police, CoBRA, CRPF, Assam Rifles and Rapid Action Force (RAF) in the general area east of National Highway 2, along SP Road.
SP Road is a hilly stretch connecting Senapati and Kangpokpi districts.
The recovery of the two bodies comes amid continuing violence in the state. On Saturday, three people belonging to the Kuki community were killed in a gunfight between rival armed groups in Noney district. Their bodies reached Churachandpur district on Sunday night, police said.
More than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses burnt across Tamenglong, Noney, Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts since ethnic clashes between the Kuki and Naga communities broke out in February this year.
Manipur had earlier witnessed ethnic violence between Meiteis, who are largely based in the Imphal Valley, and Kukis, who predominantly inhabit the adjoining hill districts. The violence left more than 300 people dead, while 49 remained missing and thousands were rendered homeless. (with inputs from PTI)