After brief lull, Kuki militants go on the rampage at Jiri again
3 Meitei houses torched at Borobekra
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 26 2024: After a brief lull, Kuki militants resumed the offensive at Jiribam by setting three more houses on fire under Borobekra sub-division in the wee hours of today.

According to credible sources, heavily armed Kuki militants first bombarded Harinagar at around 2.20 am during which one house which belonged to Ningthoujam Naba @ Brajamohan was set aflame.

After Harinagar, the Kuki militants attacked Bhutangkhal and Guakhal in a similar way and incinerated two more houses which belonged to one Kh Puja (a resident of Bhutangkhal) and Maibam Sarat (a resident of Guakhal) .

These three villages fall under Borobekra sub division.

After brief lull, Kuki militants go on the rampage at Jiri again

Condemning the failure of the security forces to protect the abandoned houses, hundreds of people and CSO leaders based in Jiribam took out a protest rally from Jiribam Ima Keithel to Jiribam DC office at Chingdong Leikai at around 11 am.

The rallyists demanded restoration of peace in Jiribam, deployment of more security forces in the border district, reconstruction of the burnt houses and facilitating the resettlement of internally displaced people.

The mass rally was jointly organised by several Jiribam based CSOs viz AJUCA, JDO, WMC (Jiribam), AJMP, JIMPAL, JIMWAK, WWOK, WASED, LWW and LEECHING.

Speaking to the media, LEECHING convenor L Ranjan said that different CSOs in Jiribam had on June 22 submitted a memorandum to the Government to protect the lives and properties of the people in Jiribam but no tangible action has been taken up as of yet.

He said that they may take up a stringent agitation and impose an indefinite blockade along National Highway 37 if the Government fails to entertain their demands.

AJUCA president Mutum Maipaksana Mangang, on the other hand, said that it is the failure of the Government which led the violence to reach Jiribam which otherwise was peaceful.

He also said that no SDPO is posted at Borobekra sub-division where Meetei is a minority group.

The attack on Borobekra sub-division could have been averted had the Government taken up adequate security measures, Maipaksana said.

In a major setback to the people of the district, Jiribam DC has taken leave amid the crisis and the local MLA hasn't done anything to alleviate their suffering, he claimed.

JDO president Elangbam Deewan also said that they found Jiribam DC wasn't in the office when they went to his office to submit the memorandum and the same is concerning as the district is on the boil since June 6 .

It is reported that the memorandum was received by Jiribam ADC.

Displaced people from Borobekra who are taking refuge at Bidyanagar Multi Purpose Sports Complex also staged a sit-in protest, today against the failure of Central forces in protecting their villages.

While speaking to the media, some of the protesters expressed their displeasure against the Assam Rifles deployed in Borobekra for letting the Kuki militants attack their villages in their presence.

Earlier in the day, a combined team of Central and State forces including Assam Rifles carried out a cordon and search operation at Harinagar, Bhutangkhal and Guakhal in the morning following the attack and searched over 50 houses and verified nearly 150 persons.

No one was arrested during the operation.