Protests against the recent killings in Manipur turned violent on Wednesday as demonstrators attempted to storm Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium in Imphal West, where Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam were attending a sports event. Security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters, leaving at least five people injured in two separate incidents.
The protests came amid heightened ethnic tensions following the killing of three Meitei men in an ambush in Imphal East on Monday and a 45-year-old Kuki man in Kangpokpi district the previous day.
A bandh called in protest against the Kuki man’s killing paralysed Kangpokpi district on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a 48-hour shutdown in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley entered its second and final day, disrupting normal life across five districts.
Protesters Demand Government Action
Protesters attempted to enter Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium, demanding that the chief minister and home minister address the deteriorating law and order situation instead of attending the inaugural ceremony of the first Manipur State Poomsae Taekwondo Championship. Delegates from South Korea were also present at the event.
Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, injuring at least three protesters, who were taken to a nearby hospital.
Later, demonstrators gathered at Khurai Lamlong in Imphal East to press their demands. Police used tear gas shells, smoke grenades and stun bombs to disperse them. Two people, including a woman reportedly injured in her right foot by a stun grenade, were taken to a hospital.
Three Arrested in Ambush Case
On October 19, militants allegedly ambushed 14 Meitei men collecting firewood in the Sunurok hills of Kangpokpi district, killing three. The victims’ families alleged that the attackers belonged to the Kuki community.
Additional Director General of Police Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo confirmed that three people had been arrested in connection with the incident. Two of the accused reportedly admitted to being part of the group involved in the killings. Police are investigating the role of the third accused and working to identify other suspects.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC), formed following the killings, said the victims’ bodies would not be accepted until the government took action against everyone involved. It also announced a one-day cease-work protest for Thursday, with sit-ins at various locations, and appealed to educational institutions to support the protest.
Shutdown Disrupts Normal Life
On Monday, protesters placed two bodies at the main gate of the chief minister’s residence, accusing the government of failing to protect civilians. Security forces fired tear gas after demonstrators breached security and parked a truck carrying the bodies outside the residence.
The shutdown called by the Native People’s Committee Manipur affected daily life across the five Imphal Valley districts. Markets remained closed, public transport stayed off the roads, and educational institutions were shut.
Protesters also burnt effigies of Rajya Sabha MP A Sharda Devi and Home Minister Konthoujam at Khabeisoi in Imphal East. Meira Paibi activists later gathered outside Devi’s residence in Brahmapur, questioning her silence over the killings. They dispersed after she assured them through a video call that their demands would be conveyed to the government.
Meanwhile, around 15 abandoned houses were set on fire at Khoikai village in Kamjong district on Wednesday. The village has remained deserted since April following clashes between Naga and Kuki communities.
The latest incidents have added to concerns over the continuing ethnic violence and the deteriorating security situation in Manipur.
