Now 'Kuki volunteers' conjure to starve State forces
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 31 2024: "Close your shops to Meitei State forces, and don't even sell them water", radical Kuki 'village volunteers' of Teng-noupal district have warned the public and shopkeepers in Moreh.

The instruction to close shops to State forces, the Tengnoupal district Village Volunteers said, is a "necessary" measure to "ensure safety" of all individuals and maintain peace and harmony within the Kuki community.

All shops in the evening bazar areas of Moreh must close shops to all Meitei State forces until all of them are withdrawn from Moreh," said a press note issued by the Village Volunteers, Tengnoupal district and circulated on social media.

"In order to maintain peace and harmony within our community and ensure the safety of all individuals, it has become necessary to implement stricter measures.

Therefore, starting from 3rd February-2024, we kindly request all shopkeepers operating in the evening bazar areas of Moreh to close shops until the withdrawal of Meitei State forces from Moreh," read the notice.

Any individual found supplying goods including water to State forces will face strict punishment, it said.

Significantly, this warning to the public came days after heightened attacks on security forces in Moreh killed at least three cops and injured more than 18 personnel of State police com- mandos and Border Security Force.

While sources in the police said that the attacks on security forces in Moreh were the handiwork of the Kuki militants, the involvement of radical armed "village volunteers" have not been ruled out.

Recently, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh had stated that Myanmar based militants may be involved in the attacks on the security forces in Moreh town.

Moreh shares a long porous border with Myanmar, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting between the military junta and rebel forces since the February 1, 2021 coup.

The attacks on security forces since October 2023 have seen Kuki militants using sophisticated weapons such as precision sniper rifles and rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launchers.

Emboldened by alleged inaction of some Central forces in the town, the Kuki militants had launched bold attacks on the State security forces and BSF.

Right under the nose of the Assam Rifles which has a large presence in Moreh, the Kuki militants had launched attacks on the camps of State forces in the heart of the town.

On October 31, 2023, a top cop of the Manipur Police, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Chingtham Anandkumar was hit by a sniper bullet when he was overseeing the construction of a helipad at Eastern Shine School Ground in Moreh.

In connection with the assassination of the cop, police commandos have arrested two Kuki militants, Philip Khaikholal Khongsai and Hemkholal Mate.

Notably, Philip Khaikholal Khongsai is an ex-Army and commander of Moreh Defence Force, Tengnoupal district.

The arrest of the two had caused an uproar in the Moreh town with Kuki militants resorting to attacking security forces at Moreh which killed two cops and injured many.

Meanwhile, today at Moreh, Kuki womenfolk allegedly obstructed Assam Rifles from entering a village.

Reliable sources said the Assam Rifles personnel were proceeding toward a village, about one and a half kilometres from Moreh Bazar to strengthen security measures in the border town in Tengnoupal district.

When the AR personnel approached the village, a large number of womenfolk belonging to the Kuki community sat on the road and obstructed the path.

A commotion broke out leading to the womenfolk physically pushing the AR personnel.

Even as the womenfolk protested, sources said the AR personnel later proceeded to the village.

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