Clarify misleading reports on Kuki woman's death: DMCC
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 21 2025: Delhi Meetei Co-ordinating Committee (DMCC) has strongly criticised The Hindu and East Mojo for what it terms as "unverified and misleading" reporting related to the recent death of a Kuki woman in Churachandpur district.

The committee demanded an immediate clarification and correction from both media outlets for publishing claims that were not backed by official sources and could escalate ethnic tensions.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, DMCC expressed "grave concern and disappointment" at the reports published by The Hindu and East Mojo regarding the unfortunate death of a Kuki woman.

While The Hindu reported that the woman was killed in Churachandpur hours after the farmer was injured, East Mojo further alleged that she was killed in an "attack by suspected Meetei militants at Phubala".

DMCC, however, pointed to the official statement released by the Manipur Police, which outlined the sequence of events differently.

According to the police report, at around 3 pm on June 19, one Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in the arm by an unknown armed miscreant while working on his farmland.

He was rushed to District Hospital Bishnupur and later referred to RIMS, Imphal, where his condition was reported as stable.

Following the attack, security forces launched a search operation across Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western part of Phubala village.

During this counter-insurgency operation, security personnel came under fire from unknown armed miscreants and retaliated.

In the crossfire, a woman identified as Hoikholhing, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi, was found dead with a bullet injury.

Police confirmed that legal formalities were underway and that cases have been registered.

Investigations and search operations to apprehend the culprits are ongoing.

DMCC emphasised that the woman's death occurred during an exchange of fire between security forces and Kuki militants, but not as a targeted killing by Meetei groups as implied.

It also noted that the term "buffer zone", quoted in the reports via the Kuki Women's Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), is misleading.

The government does not officially use the term "buffer zones", instead refer to certain areas as "sensitive zones".

Further, DMCC criticised The Hindu for quoting the KWOHR claim that "Meetei militants have repeatedly violated and crossed the buffer line" without verification.

The committee said that this violated the Press Council of India's guidelines, which require journalists to verify information from official sources before publishing.

DMCC has demanded a formal correction and public assurance from both publications that future reporting will adhere to journalistic standards of accuracy and fairness.

It questioned whether such claims would have been published without cross checking had they come from any other party involved in the conflict.

"Manipur needs peace, hot propaganda," the committee stated, urging the media to uphold journalistic ethics and avoid publishing inflammatory content without official Confirmation.

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