Fresh Violence in Manipur’s Kangpokpi: Kuki Village Volunteer Killed, Two Injured
Fresh violence was reported in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Saturday, June 13, after a Kuki village volunteer was killed and two others sustained injuries in a firing incident along the inter-district border area.
The incident took place around 8:40 am near the border between Lasan Kuki village in Tamenglong district and Langka Liangmei Naga village in Kangpokpi district. According to local sources, armed assailants allegedly opened fire on Kuki village volunteers, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to two others.
The latest violence occurred four days after farmer Haogin Lhouvum was killed while working in his agricultural field in Lasan village on June 9. His death had triggered protests and a district-wide shutdown called by Kuki civil society organisations in Kangpokpi.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Phaijang to attend Lhouvum’s funeral despite heavy rainfall. Family members, community leaders, village representatives and civil society groups participated in the burial and condolence programmes.
The funeral service was conducted under the leadership of Rev. Thangsat Kipgen under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU). Representatives from Kuki Inpi Manipur, SAHILCA and other Kuki organisations were also present.
Although Kuki civil society organisations had earlier announced the lifting of the district-wide shutdown after Lhouvum’s burial, they later decided to continue the shutdown following the killing of the village volunteer in the Lasan-Langka area.
The organisations also announced an indefinite economic blockade, alleging that repeated appeals for adequate security deployment in vulnerable Kuki-inhabited areas had not received proper response.
Kuki civil society organisations’ Kangpokpi spokesperson Janghaolun Haokip, speaking during the funeral programme, alleged that delays in deploying sufficient security personnel had contributed to repeated attacks and loss of lives in vulnerable villages.
“The government has repeatedly failed to ensure the safety of our people despite persistent appeals. The continuing attacks and killings are a direct consequence of that failure,” Haokip said.
He stated that village volunteers were formed to protect communities due to the absence of adequate security arrangements and warned against targeting them while security concerns remained unresolved.
Haokip said the economic blockade would continue until concrete steps were taken to ensure the safety of residents in vulnerable areas. He also reiterated the demand for an early political solution to address the concerns of the Kuki community.
