Kuki militants go berserk, fire indiscriminately, burn farm house
Deploy State forces demand raised
Source: The Sangai Express

Bishnupur, June 28 2023: After a brief lull for a few days, arson and attack on civilians have been reported from Bishnupur district today.

While Kuki militants indiscriminately fired at farmers at Phubala area in the morning, one semi-pucca farmhouse belonging to a Meitei family was burnt at an area near Singgeirok bordering Langchingmanbi Reserved Forest today afternoon.

Suspected Kuki militants reportedly present at Chingyang-Thel, between Haotak Khullen and Chingfei Ching, fired several rounds of bullets at the farmers at around 6 am today.

The farmers had gone to Phubala Maning High Canal to bring water for irrigation when they were fired at indiscriminately by Kuki militants who have built bunkers in the area, said sources.

The area falls under Moirang police station.

Kuki militants go berserk, fire indiscriminately, burn farm house

Later, a large number of womenfolk from Phubala, Sunusiphai, Naranseina, Moirang and Thinungei stormed the area and a confrontation broke out between them and the Central Security forces.

BSF and Sikh Regiment personnel stopped the womenfolk from entering the incident site at High Canal.

Moirang AC MLA Thongam Shanti rushed to the site and heard the appeals and complaints of the womenfolk.

They complained that the Central security forces personnel in the area didn't respond when the Kuki militants carried out the attack on them.

A team headed by 59 Senapati Brigade (Mountain Division) Leimakhong Brigadier SJ Tiwari also came to the area and talked with the women.

Later, the Deputy Commissioner of Bishnupur came and heard the women.

Moirang AC MLA Thongam Shanti then pacified the women and promised them to deploy more security personnel in the area by consulting the Chief Minister to safely and securely carry on agricultural activities.

The womenfolk then calmed down and left the area.

Meanwhile, the farmers and the womenfolk claimed that the incident was not the first and said the Kuki militants had fired at the farmers on several occasions.

The farmers can't carry out agricultural activities if such attacks continue.

There will be famine next year, if agriculture fails this year, they said.

A semi-pucca farm house, which can house around 30 persons, was burnt by Kuki militants at the foothill near Langchingmanbi Reserved Forest and Singgeirok.

The farmhouse belonged to Oinam Thambou of Phubala Makha Leikai.

The farmhouse was burnt down despite the presence of Sikh Regiment in the area, said a local denouncing the force in a protest held today.

The farmhouse was burnt down at around 1 pm after the public, in the morning, had reached an understanding with the Central security forces in the presence of the local MLA to control incidents of arson and firing.

The public want State forces to be deployed instead of the Central forces and the Sikh Regiment, she said.