Kukis, Meiteis back on edge; the trigger this time may have been felled trees

An official probe has found that villagers in the area had complained to local militant groups that some people from the Meitei community were regularly felling trees and taking away wood in the Khongbal Sunulok Hills, along the Imphal East-Kangpokpi border, and had asked them to intervene.

Following this, some militants, along with local village volunteers, are suspected to have stopped a vehicle carrying Meitei men, who were allegedly in the area to collect wood. On seeing gun-wielding militants and village volunteers, they tried to flee, but the gunmen opened fire, killing three, officials said.

While officials suspect involvement of the Kuki National Front (Nehlun) in the killing of the Meitei men, it has denied any role. A security establishment officer said: “It appears the initial intention was to scare the Meiteis or at best to detain them and make them pay for their release. But things turned ugly and people were killed.”

Sources among Kuki groups described the incident as unfortunate and ill-timed, as they have been locked in a conflict with Nagas for the past nine months and have been making efforts to mend ties with the Meiteis.

The Manipur Police has arrested three village volunteers for the killings, who subsequently led investigators to eight weapons hidden underground. “One of these guns appears to have been fired recently and a forensic examination is being conducted to establish if it was the same gun used for the killings,” said another officer.

The investigation has also brought renewed scrutiny on Kuki militant camps operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. On October 20, security forces carried out a surprise inspection of the Sinai Camp in Semol village, close to the site of the killings, and reportedly discovered “serious discrepancies”.

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Under the SoO pact – which lapsed last month and is yet to be renewed – the Sinai Camp is officially designated to house 159 registered cadres of the Kuki National Army (KNA) and Kuki Liberation Army (KLA). Security forces said they found only 18 people at the camp, with just one of them a legitimately registered cadre.

According to officials, the remaining 17 were using fabricated identities to impersonate registered Kuki cadres – eight as KNA members and nine as KLA members. All 17 have been arrested and remanded in police custody.

“The militant groups were questioned about the missing members and told to produce them within the next two days. When they couldn’t, the camp was taken over by security forces,” an officer said.

Security personnel also seized 24 firearms and 38 magazines from the camp premises. A Manipur Police officer said that some magazines and ammunition were found to be missing, “and the same is being investigated”.

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On October 25, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited the camp for an inspection.

Sources added that surprise inspections of Kuki camps were not new and have been on “since the killing of six abducted Nagas in May this year by Kuki militant groups”. “Three-four camps have been subjected to these checks since,” a police officer said.

In these inspections too, sources said, only 30-40% of the registered militants were found to be present, with militant groups reportedly explaining to security forces that some of their cadres had died while others had gone away.

Sources said the groups have been asked now to establish identities of all inmates at the camps and ensure their presence, without which the government could withhold the mandated stipend to be paid to militants living at the camps.