In a horrifying event, suspected militants attacked the Ukha Tampak village in the Bishnupur district of Manipur, which is close to Kwakta. The attack claimed the lives of three unarmed peasants, including a father and son team. When the attackers started firing, they were standing watch over their homes and were tragically injured. Security effectiveness is questioned when the attackers, who are thought to have originated from Churachandpur, managed to get past security personnel posted in the buffer zone.
The existing ethnic conflicts in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities have come back into the spotlight as a result of this occurrence. Numerous people have been killed and thousands have been displaced as a result of the confrontations, which were started by the Meitei’s quest for Scheduled Tribes (ST) recognition. A police officer was tragically killed in Imphal West, and weapons and ammunition were stolen from security checkpoints in Bishnupur, all during this conflict. An armed crowd also looted the armory at the headquarters of the 2nd India Reserve Battalion.
State police and joint forces launched search operations in response to the increase in violence, effectively destroying seven unlawful bunkers. However, there are still conflicts, as seen by a recent gunfight between unidentified gunmen and state troops that left a 35-year-old lady injured and requiring medical attention in Imphal.
Tensions have increased throughout the state as attempts to organize a burial for victims of ethnic rioting in Churachandpur have run into opposition. The tragedy highlights the critical need for long-term solutions to the ethnic disputes in Manipur. It continues to be extremely difficult to strike a balance between upholding law and order and promoting harmony among the many populations.
