With a steady job at an MNC and a comfortable house, Golan Naukal led a pleasant and peaceful life – till May 3. On May 4, his house in Imphal was attacked and torched.
“I have lost everything. My house burnt down completely. My car was destroyed. I don’t have enough food at the camp where I am staying now,” a distraught Naulak told News18. He originally hails from Churachandpur, epicentre of the violence that unfolded in Manipur this week.
“I was at home when, around 3pm, the mob attacked our house. We climbed through the fence and reached our neighbours house, and from there, the Manipur Rifles camp,” Naulak further said.
Nearly 10,000 Army, para-military and central police forces have been deployed in the state where rioting broke out after demonstrations were organised by tribals, including Kukis and Nagas, on Wednesday against a move to give the majority Meitei community Scheduled Tribe status.
IIT alumnus and teacher Santosh Akoijam underwent a similar ordeal as Naulak in Imphal’s Ningthemkol. Situated next to the Kuki-dominated Paiteveng locality, Akoijam told News18 Ningthemkol had seen only harmony for years. All that changed on May 3-4.
“I finished my tuition classes and returned to see many houses in my locality up in flames. I heard that curfew had been imposed on May 3. Around 8pm, some people came and started burning churches. The police took them away. We sent many Kukis away safely. By the next afternoon, all Kukis were gone from our area, but later their houses were burnt. Tear gas was lobbed by police. My mother couldn’t breathe,” Akoijam said.
The official death toll as announced by Kuldiep Singh, Advisor Security, Manipur government, is around 30. The CRPF lost a soldier, who was on leave, on May 5, while intelligence agencies confirmed three deaths in Churachandpur on the same date.
The Trigger
It is widely accepted that the Manipur High Court order on ST reservation for Meteis set the ball rolling. On April 28, a mob had vandalised and set on fire the venue of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s public event in Churachandpur.
The All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) gave a rally call to protest the demand of Meiteis for ST status. This rally in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur attracted thousands. A counter rally was organised by Meteis and an Anglo-Kuki War Memorial Gate, held in high esteem by Kukis, was damaged. This set off a chain reaction, officials said.
Churches Burnt Amid Police Inaction
Most Kukis and hill residents follow the Christian faith, while the Meiteis are Vaishnavite and Hindus. In Imphal, three churches were torched, which, observers say, gave a communal twist to the conflict between the tribes. As per the central government’s assessment, the local police acted late. The DGP, who failed from the Kuki community, was removed amid fears that police personnel were acting based on personal affiliations rather than the SOP.
Conspiracy Theories
Officials told News18 that rumours were spread about “illegal infiltrators supported by drug smugglers” playing a role in the conflict. This worked against the Kukis as many in the community have family in Myanmar. Kuki leaders say the conspiracy theory is often used to paint a negative picture of the tribe.
Sharing a story of drug seizure in Churachandpur on his Facebook page four days ago, Chief Minister Biren Singh had said: “These are the people who are destroying our generation. They are destroying our natural forests to plant poppy, and further igniting communal issues to carry out the drug smuggling business.”
Easy Arms
According to Manipur DGP P Dongel, armouries were looted by mobs at many places.
“On May 5, a patrolling party was also looted and their arms taken away. Insurgency groups like KNA and KNO have also made arms and ammunitions easily available,” an official told News18.
Camp residents in Imphal said they can still hear gunshots in the city at night, making them fear for their safety.
CRPF chief and Security Advisor of Manipur Kuldiep Singh said that 84 arms have been recovered so far and 10 people have been arrested, adding that efforts are on to rescue Meiteis who are still stuck Churachandpur. “The problem actually still lies in some parts of Imphal, Moreh and Churachandpur (sic), he said. He further said 28 to 30 people have died so far in the violence.
Comments
0 comment