Manipur: Worker shot to death as Kuki groups seek action over civilian killings

• Power line worker Paongam Chongloi was killed in a gun attack in Tamenglong, while houses were allegedly torched in two Kangpokpi villages.

• Hundreds of Kuki women protested in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi over recent civilian killings, seeking NIA and CBI investigations and greater protection for vulnerable villages.

• The fresh violence follows at least seven killings in September, including five Kuki women, amid continuing tensions between Naga and Kuki communities in Manipur.

A power line worker was killed in a gun attack in Manipur's Tamenglong district on Wednesday, 23 September, while armed men allegedly set fire to houses in two villages in neighbouring Kangpokpi district, officials said, amid growing protests by Kuki groups over a series of civilian killings.

Paongam Chongloi was repairing a power line at Lasan village in the early hours when armed men opened fire on him, according to local residents cited by officials. His body was taken to Kangpokpi district hospital.

The Committee on Tribal Unity said it would not claim Chongloi's mortal remains until those responsible for the killing were brought to justice.

The Kuki Civic Action Committee (KCAC) condemned the killing and urged the Centre and the state government to ensure an impartial investigation and take steps to prevent further attacks on civilians.

The committee expressed concern over the security situation in Kuki settlements along the IT Road in Tamenglong, alleging that civilians continued to face armed violence while access to essential services and humanitarian assistance remained restricted. It also alleged that armed Naga groups were behind the attack, a claim that could not be independently verified.

In Kangpokpi district, several kutcha houses were allegedly attacked and set ablaze in Makui Khuman and Makui Thanamba villages, officials said. The two villages are around 3 km apart.

The fresh incidents came as hundreds of Kuki women staged protests in Kuki-dominated areas of Manipur on Wednesday, demanding justice for civilians and children killed in attacks allegedly carried out by militants.

In Churachandpur district, protesters gathered at the Wall of Remembrance in Tuibong, carrying placards including 'Justice for Innocent Women'. The protest was organised by the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), which claimed that 27 Kuki-Zo civilians had been killed since March.

Representatives of the protesters later submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah through the Churachandpur district commissioner, seeking investigations by central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They also demanded legal action against those responsible for the violence and protection for vulnerable Kuki-Zo villages.

Similar protests were held in Kangpokpi district.

The demonstrations followed a series of killings in September in which at least seven people, including five Kuki women, were killed, according to officials and community organisations.

On 13 September, 42-year-old Lhingngai Singsit was killed and her husband, Seineih Singsit, and their infant son were injured when suspected militants attacked their home in Tollen Kuki village in Tamenglong district. Seineih later died of his injuries while being taken to a hospital in Silchar, officials said.

In another incident, a woman and a man were shot dead by armed militants at Longpi village under Nungba police station in Noney district. Another woman injured in the attack later died in Churachandpur after undergoing treatment for a week.

On 15 September, armed militants allegedly shot dead two women who had gone to an isolated field in Leisangphai (Muktokhal) village in Tamenglong district.

The latest violence adds to a wider pattern of attacks and retaliatory violence in Manipur, where clashes between Naga and Kuki communities since February have claimed more than 40 lives, according to officials.

With PTI inputs