Abandoned Meitei houses torched in Dolaithabi area
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 19 2023: Meitei houses aban-doned following the commu-nal violence in Dolaithabi area were set on fire by unknown miscreants on Friday.

As reports of the act of ar-son spread, large number of youths from villages along Dolaithabi to Sagohnang tried to proceed towards Dolaitha-bi but was prevented from doing so by security person-nel including AR, Manipur police and IRB stationed/ deployed in the area.

According to reports re-ceived from the 18 AR sta-tioned at the area, many Meitei people of Dolaithabi area who left their homes following the communal violence came up to the AR personnel and repeatedly requested to allow them to collect goods left in their homes.

On being requested repeatedly every day, they were finally allowed to col-lect their stuff with approval from the headquarters.

The AR personnel also took the help of Kuki CSO leaders in the process and helped the Meitei people to take custody of their household items.

However, as soon as the Meiteis along with the AR personnel returned to their respective places, some mis-creants started to set on fire the abandoned Meitei houses in Dolaithabi.

The AR person-nel went in the area and found that some logs of woods which were kept in huts were burnt by some people.

Those peo-ple involved in the act were traced by the AR personnel along with Kuki CSO leaders.

The Kuki CSO leaders also informed that they would take all responsibility to avoid such incidents from happening in future, the report said.

Meanwhile, the area where the miscreants set on fire was checked with the help of drone camera during which some 14/15 armed persons clad in black coloured uniform and suspected to be Kuki militants were seen coming from Gangpijang village adjacent to Dolaithabi.

As soon as the news reached, the IRB personnel posted near Dolaithabi dam reached the area to take stock of the situation.

However, there is no report on whether the armed militants have been forced out or not.

On the other hand, Meitei people in the area expressed resentment over indifferent attitude of the security personnel in the area when armed Kuki militants are coming out of their camps and occupying the abandoned Meitei houses by constructing bunkers.

If these Kuki militants are not made to leave the place, the Meitei locals of the area will ultimately do whatever is necessary even at the cost of their lives, they cautioned.

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