After the deaths of two Kuki protestors and the injuries of numerous others due to police shooting during crowd disturbances in Churachandpur district, Manipur, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-led organisation, demanded on Friday that the DC and SP leave the district, which is predominantly Kuki, within a day.
The ITLF threatened to shut down all district government offices if the DC and the SP did not leave, accusing them of being accountable for the disturbances and resulting firing by the security forces. “Any unfortunate incidents that may come up on them will be the responsibility of both the DC and the SP.” After an emergency meeting on Friday morning, the ITLF released a statement stating that the DC and SP should be replaced by Union Territory cadres, preferably from the Kuki-Zo community.
An angry crowd stormed the offices of the SP and DC on Thursday night, demanding that the suspension of a police constable be lifted. According to the ITLF statement, two people and at least twenty-five others were hurt by gunfire from the police. The group of 300 to 400 individuals attempted to storm the SP office on Thursday night, throwing stones at it, according to Manipur police. This prompted the security forces to use tear gas shells. The crowds refused to disperse despite the security forces’ requests, so members of the Rapid Action Force were called into action.
The crowd gathered at approximately 7:00 p.m. to voice their opposition to the suspension of Kuki constable Siamlalpaul, who was reportedly caught on camera posing for a picture with armed Kuki men.
After a head constable’s video was posted on social media on Wednesday, the police intervened. He was allegedly posed with “village volunteers,” however, who were protecting the Kuki villages from the Meitei miscreants’ persistent attacks. The ITLF claimed that the administration didn’t take action towards the Meitei police officers who were frequently spotted in photos and videos posing with armed Meitei groups such as Arambai Tenggol.
“The SP Shivanand Surve and DC S Dharun Kumar turned out to be key instruments inserted by the communal Chief Minister N Biren Singh to create problems in the hill district of Lamka,” claimed the ITLF.
“All security force members who fired civilians should be held under investigation and subject to legal repercussions. The group went on, “Our MLAs ought to be involved in the matter and bring up all the concerns with the government.” The Manipur government put restrictions back on mobile and broadband internet usage in Churachandpur for the following five days as the situation became volatile in an attempt to stop things from getting worse.