Imphal, August 27: In a tragic incident on Thursday, armed militants attacked a vehicle in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including the principal of a private school. One other person sustained injuries in the attack.
The assault occurred in a remote area between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga villages. A police officer from Imphal confirmed that all four victims belonged to the Liangmai Naga community and were shot at close range, dying on the spot.
The bodies were transported to the Senapati District Hospital, where the injured individual also received treatment.
Following these daylight killings, the Naga People’s Organization (NPO) enforced a shutdown of shops and businesses in the Senapati district headquarters.
Various Naga organizations reported that two to three armed Kuki militants targeted innocent Naga civilians between Makui Ashang and Thanamba. This area serves as a lifeline for the Naga communities along the IT Road.
The victims have been identified as Visobu Charenamei, Tadsongbu Ringkhangmei, Mariyakadibu Vijunamai, and Anil Vijunamai. The injured person was Gaikamang Ringkhangmei, while Naga student leader Japou MK narrowly escaped.
Visobu Charenamei was the chairman of the Chawangkining Village Authority and a former vice president of a local organization. Tadsongbu Ringkhangmei was the founder and principal of the Right Path School.
The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of the Naga people in Manipur, condemned the killings in a statement, asserting that there was a complete failure of security that led to the deaths of four Liangmai Naga citizens on the IT Road in Kangpokpi district.
The UNC accused the government of discriminatory deployment of security forces and claimed that Kuki militants, who are under a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the government, have been given free rein.
The statement highlighted the government’s biased deployment of security forces and the leniency shown towards government-paid Kuki militants under the SoO agreement.
The UNC demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible and swift justice. The statement emphasized that such acts of terrorism should not go unpunished and called for the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe this heinous crime.
Furthermore, the statement urged the Naga public to take seriously the situation deliberately created by Kuki militants with the covert support of unknown forces.
The UNC warned that this incident poses a direct threat to peace, Naga political dialogue, the peace process between the government and Naga groups, and the existence of the Naga people on their ancestral land.
Naga organizations expressed deep concern over the incident and urged authorities to take immediate and effective measures to ensure the safety of citizens traveling along the crucial IT Road.
They also called on the government and security agencies to identify and arrest those involved in the attack, ensuring that such incidents do not recur in this sensitive region.
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