10 rescued Koms handed over to Kom Union
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 06 2023:
Altogether 10 people including two women belonging to the Kom community who were rescued by the Koirengei Wangma Village Development Committee and Meitei villagers in the midst of a fierce gun battle between village defence volunteers of Awang Leikinthabi, Shantipur and Tingri, and heavily armed Kuki militants at Khongnangpokpi Kom village and Luwangsangol area of Kangpokpi district yesterday were handed over to the Kom Union Manipur and the chief of Khongnangpokpi village today.
As a fierce gun battle raged on between village defence volunteers and Kuki militants, 10 people who were found at Khongnangpokpi were evacuated by some Meitei villagers to a relief camp opened at Awang Leikinthabi.
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They were handed over to the Kom Union Manipur and Khongnangpokpi village chief S Maneshak Kom at Awang Leikinthabi today.
Koirengei Wangma Village Development Committee chairman Phijam Priyokumar said that there was no question of holding the Kom people captive.
Kuki militants, armed with sophisticated weapons, attacked Awang Leikinthabi, Shantipur and Tingri at around 11 pm of July 4.The village defence volunteers retaliated resulting in a heavy exchange of fire.
The Kuki militants launched a fresh offensive in the morning of July 5 .
As the village volunteers engaged the Kuki militants in a tense gun battle, the Kuki militants used the Kom people of Khongnangpokpi village as human shields.
As the encounter raged on, one Kuki militant ran away from Khongnangpokpi village toward their bunker some distance away up in the hills.
From the bunker, the Kuki militants opened fire indiscriminately toward the Meitei volunteers but the latter did not retaliate for fear that the Kom villagers might suffer casualties, Priyokumar said.
He lamented that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has done very little till date to rein in the Kuki militants effectively in spite of his assurance to this effect.
One Ason Kom of Khongnangpokpi village said that there was heavy exchange of fire between Meitei villagers and Kuki militants at Khongnangpokpi area at around 4 pm yesterday.
He said that they were evacuated by Meitei villagers to Awang Leikinthabi. Kom Union Manipur advisor Boyes Kom conveyed gratitude to the Meitei volunteers for evacuating the Kom villagers to a safer place who also showed deep concern that they (Kom villagers) might be caught in the crossfire.
Boyes Kom appealed to all concerned not to build bunkers in villages inhabited by small communities/tribes like the Koms.
Boyes Kom said that the Kom community is always committed to the integrity of Manipur and the sanctity of its territorial boundary.