Imphal:

In a fresh incident of arson in Manipur, a primary health centre (PHC) was torched by unidentified people in Jiribam district on Thursday, officials said. The incident took place in Borobekra area, less than 200 metres from a police outpost, early in the morning, they said. No injuries were reported as nobody was inside the PHC at the time of the incident. Security forces have rushed to the spot.

The police are yet to give a statement on the incident.

Five people were killed in fresh violence in Jiribam on September 7.

The Jiri Apunba Lup in a statement today alleged massive attacks have been carried out with heavy gunfire and powerful bombs targeting some Meitei villages, namely Ningthem Khunou, Mongbung, and villages in Borobekra sub-division in Jiribam.

“Yesterday, at 7 pm, gunfire and bombing attacks were launched on Mongbung Meitei village by a large number of Kuki terrorists…” the Jiri Apunba Lup alleged, adding the security forces should do more to prevent such attacks.

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, referring to Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community, 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…”

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands left homeless in ethnic violence between the Meitei community dominant in the valley and the Kuki tribes dominant in the hill districts of southern Manipur and some other areas since May 2023.

Ethnically-diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by violence for over a year since May 2023, saw major clashes in June.

Thousands had to leave their homes and relocate to relief camps due to incidents of arson by both sides. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was also killed in an ambush by suspected Kuki insurgents during patrolling by security forces in mid-July.

With inputs from PTI

New Delhi:

Security forces today gave a demonstration of an anti-drone system at work in violence-hit Manipur, days after a man was killed in weaponised drone attacks launched by suspected Kuki insurgents from the hills near the valley district Imphal West.

Sunday’s attacks, which the Manipur Police said were carried out by suspected Kuki insurgents, were the first recorded use of weaponised drones to drop bombs on civilians by suspected insurgents in India.

In a post on X, the Manipur Police said the Assam Rifles has deployed a few anti-drone systems in the fringe areas “to repel any rogue drones”.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), too, has tested an anti-drone system. The central force will bring more such systems soon, the police said.

The state police has also started the process of acquiring anti-drone systems to tackle aerial threats.

“AR [Assam Rifles] has deployed a few anti-drone systems in the state at fringe areas to repel any rogue drones. CRPF has also tested one anti-drone system and given it to the force deployed in the state. Some more anti-drone guns are being brought to the state by CRPF shortly,” the police said.

“The state police has also started the process for procurement of an anti-drone system to enhance its security measures and tackle threats from drones effectively,” the police said.

AR has deployed a few anti-drone systems in the State at fringe areas to repel any rogue drones. CRPF has also tested one anti-drone system and given it to the force deployed in the State. Some more anti-drone guns are being brought to the State by CRPF shortly.
The State Police… pic.twitter.com/UuWe1F5GpB

— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) September 7, 2024

The Manipur Chief Minister’s office had on two occasions raised concerns over the likelihood of weaponised drone attacks in the state, two letters sent by the Chief Minister’s secretaries to the police chief and security agencies in the last seven months show.

The Manipur Police chief Rajiv Singh had visited Imphal West district’s Kadangband and Koutruk on Sunday and Monday. He has been overseeing large-scale combing operations in the foothills. He spoke with villagers and assured them of security.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills near the Meitei-dominated Imphal West area. 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:

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:

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/New Delhi:

A woman was killed, and her 12-year-old daughter was injured in firing by suspected insurgents in Manipur today, sources said. Two policemen were also injured; both are out of danger, sources said. One of the policemen was hit in the leg by a shrapnel from a bomb dropped by a drone, police sources said, adding at least two weaponised drones were seen. Other security forces are yet to confirm the sighting of the “weaponised drones”.

The firing started from Nakhujang village in Kangpokpi towards Kadangband in Imphal West at 2.35 pm, sources said. 

Residents in Kadangband said at least one drone dropped a “bomb” on a house in the area. They have shared purported visuals of the drone dropping a bomb, while people ran for cover. Sources in the security forces, however, said they are yet to look into this claim.

Some people guarding their houses in Kadangband retaliated, sources said.

The woman, identified as Ngangbam Surbala, 31, was brought dead at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in the state capital Imphal, 45 km from Kangpokpi.

Kangpokpi is a Kuki-dominated area, while Imphal West is in the Meitei-dominated valley. The Kuki tribes and the Meitei community have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues.

While members of the Meitei community claimed “Kuki terrorists” killed the woman, social media users from the Kuki tribes alleged the Meiteis began firing at Kuki villages in Kangpokpi first.

Both sides have shared purported visuals of the firing from different angles. What’s a first – if confirmed by the security forces – would be the use of the weaponised drones in Manipur.

The drones may have been used as spotters and to direct fire, while the crude artillery “pumpi guns” fired the shells which landed right near where the drones were flying, sources said, adding this may have given an impression that the bombs were dropped by the drones.

Imphal:

A Delhi-based top civil society group of the Meitei community from Manipur has embarked on a huge drive to donate school bags to children living in relief camps in the ethnic violence-hit state.

The members of the Delhi Meitei Forum (DMF) have contributed whatever they could, from Rs 100, Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, to buy the school bags for children in relief camps, a DMF member said.

“We don’t have much, but will get as many school bags as possible,” the member said. “Many students living in relief camps need books, stationery, clothes and resources are limited. We should do what we can,” said the member.

Despite the hardships, 93 per cent students in Manipur passed the class 10 board exams in May – the highest in the last 10 years. The Manipur Board of Secondary Education had announced that over 37,000 students gave the test, and many living in relief camps passed. The pass percentage in 2022 was 76 per cent, and in 2023 it was 82 per cent.

On its social media pages, the DMF says it is a group of “law-abiding Meitei citizens of India living in Delhi. The group is not affiliated to any other organisation or body. It’s a completely independent group working for the well-being of the Meitei community.”

DMF members say they have been carrying out activities frequently to help internally displaced people in Manipur.

While other civil society groups also do similar activities, the DMF is known for its independent working process, say its members, who are from all walks of life and professions, many of whom have been recognised for public service.

The total income loss for the State in the farm sector during the violence was estimated at ₹226.5 crore. File image for representation.
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

GUWAHATI: Manipur’s Agriculture Department has come up with a crop compensation package of ₹38.06 crore as relief for the farmers affected by the ethnic conflict that broke out on May 3. 

The ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki and the non-tribal Meitei communities has claimed more than 200 lives and displaced about 60,000 people. The turmoil also prevented farmers in the violence-prone areas from tending to their fields, resulting in crop loss. 

Officials said the package was estimated on the basis of an independent survey conducted by Loumee Shinmee Apunba Lup, a farmers’ body which estimated that paddy crop on a total of 9,719 hectares of land on the periphery of Imphal Valley could fail as farmers are afraid to go to the fields because of sporadic firing by armed miscreants from higher grounds. 

The total income loss for the State in the farm sector during the violence was estimated at ₹226.5 crore, with rice accounting for 93.36% of the total agriculture and allied activities followed by livestock farming. 

Worst affected

“Of the five crisis-hit valley districts [Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, and Thoubal], Bishnupur is the worst affected in terms of agricultural land area comprising 5,288 hectares, constituting 54.4% of the total land area of 9,718 hectares followed by Imphal East with 1,770 hectares and Imphal West,” the report said. 

Bishnupur, which shares its boundary with Churachandpur district, has been one of the most vulnerable districts. Farmers of Phubala, Sunusiphai, Naranseina, Khoirentak, Kumbi, Sagang, Torbung, Wangoo, and Khoijuman Khunou villages have been the worst hit, some of them having sustained bullet injuries. 

“The current situation is such that our farmers are back to square one. Despite the security arrangements, they fear to venture out to the fields to take care of the paddy plants,” president of the farmers’ body Mutum Churamani said. 

He said the farmers were scared to go to their fields located mostly near the foothills, from where intermittent firing had been taking place over the past five months. 

“With security arrangements, we somehow managed to send our farmers in July to initiate tilling and prepare for sowing. A State-level monitoring committee was later formed for this purpose,” Mr. Churamani said. 

Apart from the commissioner and director of the Agriculture Department, the committee comprised members of five farmers’ organisations. Following the advice of the committee, the Manipur government started providing security cover for the farmers during the kharif season for working in the fields. 

About 2,000 security personnel had been diverted for this purpose by downgrading VIP security cover with district commissioners of affected districts appealing to the peasants not to venture out for farming activities without security arrangements considering the volatile situation. 

State Agriculture Commissioner R.K. Dinesh Singh said that in order to mitigate the current crisis, the department approached the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for funding a crop compensation package as relief for the farmers whose livelihoods are threatened by the ethnic violence. 

“The MHA accepted the proposal of the department for a crop compensation package of ₹38.06 crore. We want to speed up the process of releasing the relief package to the affected farmers by November,” he said.