Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:

The Manipur Police said they have identified the bodies of five people found in Jiribam district following a fierce gunfight with “suspected Kuki insurgents” on Friday.

Three of the bodies have now been confirmed as Kuki insurgents from Churachandpur district; the fourth has been identified as a Kuki volunteer from Jiribam; the fifth has been identified as a member of the Meitei insurgent group United National Liberation Front (Pambei), or UNLF(P), the police said in a statement on Sunday.

The three Kuki insurgents were members of the Kuki Liberation Army (KLA), the police said, adding they suspect the three Kuki insurgents may have come from the hill district Churachandpur in southern Manipur, 230 km from Jiribam.

“… It seems they had traversed a long distance to Jiribam to execute these subversive activities,” the police said.

The UNLF is the oldest Meitei insurgent group, which later broke up into two factions; the Pambei faction signed a tripartite peace agreement with the Centre and the state government in November 2023.

The KLA has two factions, one each with the two umbrella Kuki-Zo groups that have signed the controversial tripatriate Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the state government and the Centre. Some 24-odd Kuki-Zo insurgent groups come under the two umbrella organisations called the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF). Sources said the leaders of the KLA factions are from the Khongsai clan.

The police said the three Kuki insurgents and the volunteer “initiated the attack” in Jiribam, killing a 63-year-old man from the Meitei community identified as Yurembam Kulendra Singha. His body was found on a bed, indicating he was shot while sleeping, his family told reporters on Saturday.

A police team that rushed to the site of the attack was fired at; the team retaliated and took control of the situation, the police said.

“A total of five bodies were found at the firing incident site…” the police said in the statement posted on X.

According to the police, the three KLA insurgents were Seiminlen Khongsai, Haogoulen Doungel, and Nehboithang Haokip. The volunteer who was killed was Lhunkhohao Haokip.

The UNLF(P) member was Baspatimayum Lakhi Kumar Sharma. He was guarding a village as a volunteer when he came under attack, his wife, holding her six-month-old baby, told local media.

In c/w the case of 06.09.2024, suspected Kuki militants had attacked Nungchappi village under Jiribam District resulting in death of 01 (one) senior citizen civilian identified as Yurembam Kulendra Singha (63) yrs S/O. (L) Y. Ramohon Singha of Rangar Part-I, Cachar, Assam, who…

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) September 8, 2024

Jiribam is where Meitei and Hmar leaders met for peace talks last month, along with security forces commanders. They had given a joint statement agreeing to work for peace. Churachandpur-based Kuki groups, however, had objected to the peace talks, alleging the peace talk parties did not represent their interests and met only at Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s bidding.

The Hmar Inpui later declared it would not recognise the peace initiative and warned the individuals who participated in the meeting to “stop their blind and selfish efforts”. The Hmar Inpui had said these leaders appeared to be bowing to the “whims and fancies of a divisive and communal government under the leadership of Biren Singh…”

After violence erupted in Jiribam in June, sources had told NDTV the state government had written three times in December 2023 and January this year to the Director General of Police (DGP) asking to step up security and respond to any threat in the district bordering Assam.

“It has been reported that about 200 armed Kuki-Zo militants have moved from Churachandpur and reached Phaitol village, Old and New Kaiphundai area of Tamenglong district bordering Jiribam district,” the state government wrote to the DGP on January 15.

Sources had said though the Jiribam attacks in June came nearly six months after the government sent the first letter, the insurgents would have been waiting for the “right time” to strike.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

Imphal:

Amid the sound of gunfire and explosions that reverberated in the valley in Manipur, Ngangbam Surbala Devi lived a happy life centred around the love for and well-being of her family. The 31-year-old was more than just a homemaker; she was the glue that held her family together, managing their home with grace and determination, supplementing their modest earnings, and ensuring her children received the education they deserved, her relatives said.

On September 1, the unrelenting ethnic violence shattered her world, ending her life in the place she had once called home.

Surbala Devi’s killing is not just another tale of loss; it is a heartbreaking reminder of the innocent lives torn apart by senseless conflict. Her death has left behind a grieving husband and two young children.

At her home in the quiet, green village of Phayeng, Surbala Devi was the heartbeat of her family, balancing multiple roles with an unwavering commitment, her relatives said.

Her husband, Ngangbam Ingo, served as a village guard, a role that often kept him away from home amid the ethnic violence. In his absence, Surbala Devi raised their two children – Mahesh, 14, and Rosia, 8.

She ran a small piggery and a local rice liquor brewery to support her family. Despite her small income, her tireless efforts were enough to keep her family afloat during the Manipur crisis, her relatives said.

August 31 was a special day for Surbala Devi. She eagerly prepared to visit her son Mahesh at Kangleipak Modern School in Lairenkabi, where he boarded. His mid-term results were out, and she was anxious to see how he had done.

Knowing how much he loved chicken curry, she planned to surprise him with his favourite dish. She called her husband Ingo the night before, asking him to prepare the meal for their son. The next morning, Surbala Devi set off on her two-wheeler to pick up her husband. They shared a simple lunch together – a rare moment of family time – before she dropped him back and continued to the school with Rosia and a nephew.

“Mother came at 11 am and asked about my results,” Mahesh said, his voice tinged with sadness. “I told her I got sixth rank. She said it was okay, but encouraged me to try harder for the final exam.”

They enjoyed the chicken curry and other treats she had brought, savouring these precious moments together. Soon, Rosia and their cousin began insisting they visit their grandmother’s house in Koutruk.

Giving in to their pleas, Surbala Devi decided to take them there, promising Mahesh she would see him again soon. Little did he know these would be his last moments with his mother.

Later that day, Mahesh was taken back home in Phayeng, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that had happened. As he approached the house, he was startled to see a crowd of people in white dress gathered in the courtyard.

A sense of dread filled him as he hurried inside, looking for his mother. It was only then that he learned the devastating news – his mother had been shot in the head and killed during an attack in Koutruk. The police later said it was an attack by suspected Kuki insurgents.

Koutruk, located at the foothills where the hills of Kangpokpi begin, had always been a vulnerable target in the ongoing ethnic violence between Kuki insurgents and the Meitei community.

On September 1, after Surbala Devi arrived at her maternal home with her children, the village was suddenly attacked. Suspected Chin-Kuki militants, escalating their aggression, used military-grade drones to drop bombs, coupled with indiscriminate gunfire.

Ingo received a call from Surbala, her voice filled with fear.

“We’re in Koutruk, and there’s firing from the mountains. They’re even using drones to drop bombs. I’ve taken the kids, and we’re ducking for cover,” she told him.

Ingo, 8 km away, could only urge her to stay safe. These would be the last words he ever exchanged with his wife. Moments later, a bullet pierced the earthen wall of the verandah where Surbala Devi and Rosia were taking cover. The bullet struck Rosia in the arm before fatally wounding Surbala Devi in the head.

The news broke Ingo’s heart. Consumed by grief, he could barely find the words.

“Why did this happen to my wife? She was the kindest, most hard-working person. She single-handedly took care of our family. How will I live without her? How will I raise our children?” he said, and broke down.

Romen Leishangthem, secretary of the Koutruk Youth Club, recounted the attack.

“The militants started firing around 2 pm, catching us off guard. It was a new kind of warfare. They used drones to drop bombs with terrifying precision. Surbala and her daughter were lying on the verandah, trying to stay safe. The bullet that hit Rosia’s arm passed through and struck Surbala, taking her life.”

Surbala Devi’s death adds a number to the casualties list of the unending ethnic violence that has ravaged Manipur, claiming over 230 lives, leaving many missing, and countless more injured, traumatised and displaced.

Homes and places of worship on both sides have been reduced to ashes. Despite recent efforts to restore peace, the escalation of violence with advanced weaponry signals a disturbing trend, suggesting that the road to reconciliation and normalcy is still fraught with danger.

As Manipur continues to grapple with its deep-seated ethnic strife, the memory of Surbala Devi stands as a sad example of the senseless loss of innocent lives. A devoted wife, a loving mother, and a pillar of her family, Surbala Devi’s legacy lives on in the hearts of those she touched, a silent plea for peace amidst the chaos, reminding of the unbearable cost of conflict.

Inputs by Sunzu Bachaspatimayum

Imphal/New Delhi:

Six people were killed in fresh violence this morning in Manipur’s Jiribam district, the police said. Suspected Kuki insurgents attacked Nungchappi village in the district 229 km from the state capital Imphal, killing a 63-year-old man identified as Yurembam Kulendra Singha. The attack came a day after an elderly man from the valley-dominant Meitei community, who was offering prayers, was killed in a rocket-propelled bomb attack by Kuki insurgents in Manipur’s Moirang town, according to the police.

The five others were killed in a gunfight between armed groups of the Meitei community and the hill-dominant Kuki tribes, sources said. These groups call themselves “village defence volunteers”.

The Jiribam Superintendent of Police (SP) and a police team rushed to the area, but were fired at, the police said in the statement, adding the team “retaliated strongly and controlled the firing.”

In Imphal, the Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) K Kabib today told reporters, “… Yesterday, some Kuki militants attacked and fired at some fringe areas including Bishnupur and Churachandpur border. In response to that, combined teams of the security forces conducted combing operations. They have destroyed two bunkers which was previously occupied by militants. After that, there was a long-range rocket fire from the hills by Kuki militants at Moirang, in which one senior citizen was killed and six others were injured.”

“Today morning, the Kuki militants attacked a village in Jiribam, killing a senior citizen. The militants kept firing and ran away. Some village volunteers retaliated, and when the Jiribam police reached the area, they were fired at, after which the police also fired back,” Mr Kabib said.

Jiribam is where Meitei and Hmar leaders met for peace talks last month, along with security forces commanders. They had given a joint statement agreeing to work for peace. Churachandpur-based Kuki groups, however, had objected to the peace talks, alleging the peace talk parties did not represent their interests and met only at Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s bidding.

The Hmar Inpui, however, declared it would not recognise the peace initiative and warned the individuals who participated in the meeting to “stop their blind and selfish efforts”. The Hmar Inpui had said these leaders appeared to be bowing to the “whims and fancies of a divisive and communal government under the leadership of Biren Singh…”

Anti-Drone System, Chopper Patrol

An anti-drone system has been deployed, the police said, nearly a week after suspected Kuki insurgents attacked villages in Imphal West district with weaponised drones – the first time suspected insurgents used drone attacks on Indian soil.

The police said that in a multi-pronged approach, army helicopters are keeping an eye on the ground, while combing operations in “suspected areas” in both the hills and the valley are going on. A team is also monitoring social media posts to catch instigators of violence, the police said.

The security forces have destroyed several bunkers in the foothills, the police said.

On Friday evening, crowds tried to loot weapons from the 2nd and 7th Manipur Rifles camps in the state capital Imphal, but they were prevented from doing so by the security forces, who fired blank rounds and tear gas, the police said. Two policemen were injured in firing by some people from the crowd, the police said. The two injured personnel have been identified as inspector Kh Henery, and constable Issac Gangmei. Both are in hospital.

Protesters in Imphal valley told reporters they were disappointed with the state and the central government over the drone and rocket attacks, and civilians were left with no choice but to defend themselves.

“Who in their right mind would want to loot weapons? People are being killed in their homes, despite the presence of over 50,000 central force personnel. A Meitei woman was shot by a sniper. An elderly man was killed in a rocket attack,” Imphal resident M Nirmala Devi, who came out to protest on Friday evening, told NDTV.

Imphal/New Delhi:

An MLA of the ruling BJP in ethnic violence-hit Manipur has called for banning a Kuki group that has been spearheading the call for a separate administration carved out of Manipur. The MLA, Rajkumar Imo Singh, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, appealed to the Home Ministry to ban the Kuki group Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) alleging the group has been taking financial aid to buy lethal drones, bombs and ammunition.

The MLA, who belongs to the valley-dominant Meitei community, in a post on X uploaded purported photos of a person with an identity card under the name ‘Haopu Vaiphei’ and the words ‘ITLF Drone Squad’.

“… Who is this person with ITLF ID and who all are training these people to attack innocent civilians?” Imo Singh said.

He also posted a purported ITLF-issued receipt that claimed the Bnei Menashe community sent Rs 3.9 lakh “financial assistance to the ITLF defence department”. The Bnei Menashe refers to some Kuki and Mizo people who claim descent from one of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel.

Imo Singh made the allegations after two civilians were killed and nine were injured in firing and drone attacks by suspected Kuki insurgents in Manipur on Sunday.

It was the first recorded use of drones to drop bombs on civilians by suspected insurgents in India.

On Monday, another drone dropped two bombs in Imphal West district’s Senjam Chirang, leaving three injured, the police said. The bombs tore through the roof of a house, visuals taken by the police show.

“As a legislator of the state of Manipur, I seek for the organisation namely ITLF to be declared as a banned organisation. If these pictures are all true, if they are taking financial assistance to procure lethal drones, other arms and ammunition including bombs to attack innocent people, they have to be banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,” Imo Singh said.

“As I said earlier, it’s not just an ethnic conflict; it is an act of terror, an act of waging war against our country, the state of Manipur, its people, who are the citizens of our country,” he added.

As a Legislator of the State of Manipur, I seek for the organisation namely ITLF to be declared as a banned organisation. If these pictures are all true, if they are taking financial assistance to procure lethal drones, other arms and ammunition including bombs to attack innocent… pic.twitter.com/qD86u7U26O

— Rajkumar Imo Singh (@imosingh) September 3, 2024

NDTV could not independently verify the visuals posted by Imo Singh.

No Credible Evidence: Kuki Groups

The ITLF and other key Kuki groups in separate statements called the allegations of Kuki-Zo tribes using weaponised drones to attack the Meiteis totally unfounded. The Kuki groups said the entire incident was meant to divert attention from the audio tape leak controversy linked to the Chief Minister.

In the purported audio tapes, which have been submitted to a probe panel under the Home Ministry, the Chief Minister allegedly admitted he started the Manipur ethnic conflict. Those who gave the tapes to the probe panel reportedly gave affidavits stating the material was genuine, and sought protection.

The Biren Singh government has called the audio tapes “doctored”, and meant to derail peace talks.

“Drones are readily available in the market; obtaining them does not require involvement from outside the country. Licypriya Kangujam, a Meitei climate activist, publicly stated on social media that she has procured drones equipped with bomb-dropping capabilities from the US to bomb the Kuki-Zo inhabited areas…” the ITLF said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) said the state Home Department’s statement on Sunday saying the drone attacks were launched “reportedly by Kuki militants” were totally unfounded, lacking any credible evidence.

“It is beyond doubt that the irresponsible statement from the Home Department was intended to create confusion among the masses and the media, and to create a misleading narrative that distorts the facts and unfairly maligns the Kuki community,” the KIM said in a statement.

The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) also condemned what they called false allegations by the Biren Singh government and its police on the drone attacks. The KSO alleged Meiteis have been using drones to attack the Kuki tribes since December 2023. “… But nobody pays heed until an allegation of the same was levied by Meiteis in the recent incident…” the KSO said.

Police Chief Visits Affected Areas

The Manipur Director General of Police Rajiv Singh on Tuesday visited the villages in Imphal West district where the drone attacks were reported. The police chief is overseeing large-scale combing operations in the foothills. He spoke with villagers and assured them of security.

“This (drone attack) is a new thing. We are in touch with experts, including the National Security Guards (NSG). We have formed a multi-agency committee to make a plan on countering the drone threat. The experts are coming to Manipur,” the DGP said.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills near the Meitei-dominated valley district Imphal West. The Kuki tribes and the Meiteis have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation.

Imphal:

For a second time, Thangjam Basant, 34, had to flee his village, Koutruk, in Manipur’s Imphal West district bordering the Kuki tribes-dominated Kangpokpi district.

“I was attending to my younger brother, who was injured by bomb shrapnel. When I returned home, it was all burnt down,” Mr Basant, who is from the valley-dominant Meitei community, told NDTV, and broke down.

In a fresh flare-up of violence yesterday at the inter-district boundary, two people were killed and 10 including a minor, policemen and a reporter were injured in firing and bomb attacks by drones launched by “suspected Kuki insurgents”. The attack on Koutruk came after relative calm for several months.

When NDTV went to Koutruk on Monday, it became clear that many people who fled from their homes when ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023 and had returned recently, had to again run for their lives. This has raised questions about the security of villages in the foothills.

One of the people who was killed on Sunday was a woman who was visiting her mother’s house. Her 12-year-old daughter was hit in the hand.

“I went to my house in the morning and found the mat they used. It had blood stains and patches of her hair. My sister-in-law had visited us after a long time,” said Thokchom Anu, the sister-in-law of Ngangbam Surbala, 31, who was shot in the head by suspected Kuki insurgents, told NDTV on Monday.

Top intelligence sources had told NDTV on Sunday that snipers and drones were used in the attack yesterday.

Bashant, Anu and many others who have fled from Koutruk have taken shelter at a primary school a few kilometres away. Some 150 people from the village are at the school. They had also left their homes in May 2023, and then returned when the situation seemed to have improved. They were just settling down when they were forced to flee again.

By Monday morning, security forces swarmed Koutruk. Many houses and vehicles were still smouldering after they were set on fire the previous night, allegedly by the Kuki insurgents. The area seemed like it was hit by an airstrike.

Residents of the village have questioned the role of the central forces who are guarding areas in the foothills such as Koutruk, which is right across the hills where the Kuki tribes are settled.

“The drones suddenly came and dropped the bombs. This was new for us. We were not prepared for it. When the firing began, CRPF came in their vehicles, while the Assam Rifles is up there in the hills. They should have controlled this situation,” Koutruk resident Romen Laishanghthem told NDTV.

The area was volatile on Monday too. Intermittent firing and explosions could be heard at a distance.

On Saturday, the Kuki tribes had held rallies to press for their demand of a separate administration. The tribes have been alleging Meitei armed groups have been carrying out attacks against them.

“The violence in Manipur will continue to escalate till the time there is no permanent political solution or Biren Singh remains the Chief Minister,” said Janghaolun, a spokesperson of Manipur’s Kuki Inpi.

Security forces also conducted joint combing operations in Kangpokpi and Imphal West district.

BJP MLA RK Imo Singh in a letter to Union Home minister Amit Shah questioned the role of central forces if they were unable to bring peace. He asked the Home Ministry to withdraw central forces from the state if their presence fails to stop violence.

In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mr Singh said if central forces fail to deliver results, the state security personnel should be allowed to take charge in an effort to restore peace in the ethnic violence-hit state.

Imphal/Guwahati:

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and other leaders have condemned the attack on the house of a BJP spokesperson from the Thadou tribe in the state’s Churachandpur district.

Over two dozen people, some of them armed, had vandalised the house of the state BJP spokesperson T Michael Lamjathang Haokip on Sunday night. They fired shots in the air and set two rooms on fire, Mr Haokip had said, adding no one was injured. Four families displaced by the violence in Manipur also live in four small structures at his family plot, he said.

“The attack carried out on the family members of Michael Lamjathang, a leader of the Thadou community, one of the oldest among the ethnic tribes of Manipur, as well as a BJP spokesperson, by vandalising his house was an act of cowardice,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

“I consider this personal harm being put on one of our recognised tribes as a direct challenge to the unity and integrity of the state. Attacks on any particular community of the recognised tribes of Manipur, as well as the attack on the family of the BJP spokesperson, are condemned in the strongest terms. We will initiate appropriate legal action against the culprits,” Mr Singh said.

The attack carried out on the family members of Micheal Lamjathang a leader of the Thadou community, one of the oldest among the ethnic tribes of Manipur, as well as a BJP spokesperson by vandalizing his house was an act of cowardice.
I consider this personal harm being put on…

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) August 27, 2024

State minister Govindas Konthoujam said the attack on Mr Haokip exposed “the mentality of those who, unable to engage in logical debate, resort to violence.” “… This cowardly act of violence against his home and family is not just an assault on an individual, but on the entire Thadou community and our civilization,” the seven-time MLA from Bishnupur said in a post on X.

1/2 I strongly condemn the barbaric attack on Thadou student leader & BJP Manipur Spokesperson Michael Lamjathang Haokip in Peniel village, Churachandpur. This cowardly act of violence against his home & family is not just an assault on an individual, but on the

— Govindas Konthoujam (@KonthoujamG) August 26, 2024

Mr Haokip on Tuesday said he has been raising awareness about his tribe, Thadou, being inaccurately referred to as a Kuki tribe amid the ethnic tension in Manipur. He said it was the second time his house in Churachandpur was attacked, allegedly by some people who do not accept the Thadou tribe’s distinct identity.

“Around 30 people barged in at 10.30 pm. They poured kerosene on the walls and burned two rooms. They also fired many rounds in the air to scare our neighbours and other residents in the neighbourhood,” Mr Haokip told NDTV. “Everybody in the area is angry at the attackers,” he said.

Mr Haokip belongs to the family of a Thadou tribe village chief, under whose area some 70 families live in as many houses. Apart from their main family house, there are four small structures on the plot where people displaced by the ethnic violence are living.

“The attackers also threatened the displaced people to leave,” Mr Haokip said.

The attack at the Churachandpur house of the BJP spokesperson from the Thadou tribe comes days after three MLAs from among the 10, who have been demanding a separate administration carved out of Manipur, clarified that they want their own tribes to be called by their correct names, instead of being associated only with the term “Kuki-Zo”.

On social media, the three MLAs have received threats of boycott and other “consequences” for allegedly weakening the Kuki tribes’ resolve to persuade the Centre to create a separate administration. One of the BJP MLAs told NDTV everyone should feel free to state facts about the tribe they belong to. “I fail to understand why threats are coming my way for simply saying to which tribe I and the people I represent belong,” the leader told NDTV, requesting anonymity.

Mr Haokip is also a leadership team member of the Manipur-based Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) and the newly formed Thadou Community International, or TCI, a global body with professionals from the Thadou tribe living in nine countries including the US, the UK, Norway, Australia, and Malaysia, among others, as members. The TCI in a statement said the attack happened barely a few hours after Mr Haokip participated in a panel discussion in local media on the topic ‘Kuki supremacy and its agenda.’

“It was also an incident due to the fallout of relentless attacks on Thadou community and Thadou leaders by the Churachandpur-based Kuki supremacist-made fake Thadou Tribe Council (TTC), who have been actively engaging in disinformation campaign and violent rhetoric against Thadou, even boasting to know the perpetrators of the violent attack on Michael Lamjathang’s home last year,” the TCI said.

On August 5, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had met representatives of several small tribes and heard their concerns about bigger tribes trying to suppress their identities.

During the discussion and voting on demands for grants on the last day of the Manipur assembly session on August 12, the Chief Minister had said “violence was perpetrated by some, not all, people.”

“Not every Thadou, Paite, Hmar had a hand in the violence. You have seen, Hmar people spoke so well (in the peace meeting), we had tears, they too had tears, that all this happened due to misunderstandings,” Mr Singh said, referring to the August 1 peace meeting between Meitei and the Hmar tribe representatives in Jiribam, where they agreed to work for normalcy nearly two months after ethnic violence that began over a year ago reached the district bordering Assam.

Imphal/New Delhi:

Three MLAs from among the 10 who have been demanding a separate administration carved out of Manipur have clarified that they want their own tribes to be called by their correct names, instead of being associated only with the term “Kuki-Zo”.

The 10 MLAs including seven from the BJP have so far been described in the press and social media as belonging to the “Kuki-Zo” tribes. The three MLAs, however, in statements in the last two days said the term “Kuki-Zo” is not adequate to refer to their own tribes.

The three MLAs from the Hmar, Paite, and Vaiphei tribes who issued the statements are LM Khaute, Ngursanglur Sanate, and Vungzagin Valte.

“… I would like to reaffirm that the most suitable and inclusive term to describe our community in the media, social media and so on is ‘Kuki-Zomi-Hmar… I cannot accept anything that excludes ‘Zomi’ and any other term that describes our identity in such press statements,” Mr Khaute said in the statement.

Mr Sanate said he will not endorse any platform, organisation or statement that excludes the term “Hmar” tribe.

The third MLA, Mr Valte, in a strongly worded statement said it has become “pivotal” for him to declare that he is from the Paite tribe belonging to the Zomi community, that Zomi is an accepted nomenclature as it reflects the “true historical, culture, and social identity of our people.”

“… The recent usage of ‘Kuki-Zo’ is perceived by many within my represented communities as non-inclusive and assimilative… Therefore, I cannot, in good conscience, accept and endorse any term that doesn’t respect the individuality and dignity of all the groups that form the fabric of my constituency,” said Mr Valte.

The three MLAs’ statements come days after a section of the Thadou tribes represented by the Manipur-based Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) formed a global platform to look into critical issues facing the community, particularly in Manipur.

The TSA has said Thadou is a distinct tribe and people with their own distinct identity, language and culture. “… At some point other people may have called Thadous with different names… that does not change the fact that we are Thadou and we should be called Thadou respectfully,” the TSA said in a statement on August 5.

Manipur BJP spokesperson T Michael Lamjathang Haokip, who is from the Thadou tribe, in a post on X said the three Hmar, Paite, and Vaiphei MLAs’ statements “have explicitly stated they are not Kuki, raising questions about the true identity of Kuki.”

“… The remaining 7 MLAs should adhere to their tribe identities to reach a common consensus. The individual statements of the 3 MLAs signify their rejection of Kuki supremacists… The disunited Zo tribal groups, united only in their desire to remove the Chief Minister and hostility against the Meitei, must cease targeting innocent lives and work towards a peaceful solution. The proxy unity aimed at ousting the Chief Minister for political gains should not come at the cost of innocent lives and communal harmony,” Mr Michael said.

During the discussion and voting on demands for grants on the last day of the Manipur assembly session on August 12, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said “violence was perpetrated by some, not all, people.”

“Not every Thadou, Paite, Hmar had a hand in the violence. You have seen, Hmar people spoke so well (in the peace meeting), we had tears, they too had tears, that all this happened due to misunderstandings,” Mr Singh had said, referring to the August 1 peace meeting between Meitei and the Hmar tribe representatives in Jiribam, where they agreed to work for normalcy nearly two months after ethnic violence that began over a year ago reached the district bordering Assam.

The clashes between the valley-dominant Meitei community and nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the nearly two dozen tribes that share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

New Delhi:

Six rivers in Assam and Manipur, including Brahmaputra, and Barak, are experiencing severe flooding, putting numerous districts in the region at risk, the Central Water Commission has said. The Brahmaputra river at Neamatighat in Assam’s Jorhat district is flowing at 85.25 metres, which is 0.29 metres above its danger level of 85.54 metres, while the Barak river is in a severe situation.

In the Imphal East district of Manipur, the Barak River at Chotabekra is at 30.15 metres, 3.95 metres above its danger level. This significant rise poses a severe threat to the surrounding communities, according to the CWC data.

In Assam, the Barak River continues to impact various districts. At Badarpur Ghat in Karimganj district, the river is at 18.13 metres, 1.28 metres above the danger level while at Annapurna Ghat in Cachar district, it is at 21.52 metres, 1.69 metres above the danger level.

At Fulertal in Cachar district, the water level is at 25.94 metres, 2.06 metres above the danger level, showing a steady trend. At Dholai in Cachar district, it is at 24.9 metres, 0.32 metres above the danger level, with a falling trend.

The Kopili River at Kampur in Nagaon district is also in a severe situation, flowing at 62.08 metres, the Commission said, adding this level is 1.58 metres above the danger mark of 60.5 metres.

Although the trend is steady, the high water level remains a concern for the local population.

In Karimganj district, the Kushiyara river is at 16.5 metres, which is 1.56 metres above its danger level. The river’s steady trend indicates that immediate action is required to mitigate potential flood damage, the Commission said.

The Katakhal river at Matijuri is flowing at 22.23 metres, 1.96 metres above its danger level, while the Dhaleswari river at Gharmura is at 28.18 metres, 0.13 metres above its danger level. Though the water levels are currently falling, both rivers remain in a severe situation, necessitating vigilance, the Commission said.

Over two lakh people have been affected by the flood situation in nine districts of Assam following incessant rainfall in the aftermath of cyclone Remal, officials said.

Altogether, six people have died in the flood, rain and storms in the state since May 28, they said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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