Mongbung villagers in despair as Kuki attacks continue
Source: Chronicle News Service

Jiribam, October 02 2024: Residents of Mongbung Meetei village in Jiribam district are deeply frustrated and in fear following multiple attacks by Kuki militants on the village having about 50 households.

In the latest attack on Sunday night, militants used bombs and automatic rifles, causing distress among the villagers.

On Monday, security forces conducted operations in both Mongbung Meetei and Mongbung Kuki villages, recovering arms and ammunition, mostly casings, but this did little to ease the villagers' concerns.

During a visit to the village on Tuesday , a media team came across tearful residents who questioned whether the government expected them to abandon their homes, as they no longer felt safe in the village.

Bombs have fallen on houses, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

Despite this, central security forces have not provided the level of protection the villagers expect or need, leaving them to rely mostly on the state forces and local village volunteers.

Villagers reported that the state forces have been their only source of protection, preventing the village from being completely destroyed.

However, they voiced dissatisfaction with the state government, accusing it of failing to provide adequate security or basic necessities.

Even after returning from relief camps two months ago, many families feel they are living like refugees in their own homes.

They no longer receive food rations like they did in the relief camp, and some have resorted to begging from neighbours to survive, as they cannot carry out normal activities like going to the market or working for their livelihood.

A sense of betrayal has grown among the residents, who had hoped for full protection when they were sent back to their homes from the relief camp.

Instead, they are left asking whether the government wants them to remain in their village or leave for safety elsewhere.

Some have begun to consider fleeing to places like Cachar, demanding that the government either take up adequate security measures or provide them with the means to move out of their village.

One of the central points of frustration among the villagers is the trust deficit with CRPF and Assam Rifles.

According to the villagers, during the initial attack by Kuki militants, some women approached the nearby CRPF camp for protection but found the camp barricaded with barbed wire, preventing their entry when the second attack happened.

In subsequent attacks, the CRPF refused to intervene citing absence of orders from higher authorities.

The villagers also disapproved the CRPF bringing in Assam Rifles personnel among them into residential areas.

This perceived inaction, combined with the presence of Assam Rifles in Mongbung Kuki village, has led to suspicion of their complicity, and anger among the Meetei residents, who are questioning how Kuki militants are able to launch attacks despite presence of military personnel nearby.

The villagers claim that Meetei village volunteers have never initiated violence but only retaliated in defence when attacked by Kuki militants.

They are also puzzled by the pattern of security operations: after each attack by Kuki militants, the focus of these operations shift towards Mongbung Meetei village, despite the fact that the attacks were from the other side.

This recurring scenario has led the residents to question the motives behind such actions.

In the absence of adequate government support, the villagers are relying on limited protection from state forces and village volunteers, as well as essential supplies sent from other Meetei villages.

However, this support is insufficient, and the residents of Mongbung Meetei village continue to live under constant threat, uncertain of their future.

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