'Shut down' threat in Manipur district after houses burnt in Kuki village.
PTI
Guwahati: Tension gripped parts of Manipur's Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on Monday after several houses were set on fire allegedly by an armed group belonging to the Naga community.
This led the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a forum of Kuki organisations in Kangpokpi, to issue a warning about imposing a "complete shutdown" on a highway if those involved in the arson are not nabbed within 24-hours.
According to police, several houses and farmhouses were set on fire at K Songlung village in the Kuki-dominated district.
Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a Naga armed group, reportedly claimed responsibility for the incident while claiming that the houses were used for poppy cultivation related works. The ZUF is active in parts of Kangpokpi and in neighbouring Naga-dominated Tamenglong and Noney districts.
In a statement, the COTU said it would impose a total shutdown of National Highway-2 (Imphal–Dimapur) from midnight of January 27 till midnight of January 28 if its demand was not met.The committee alleged that villages on the periphery of Kangpokpi district were being treated as "soft targets" by ZUF factions and said it would not be held responsible for any consequences arising from the situation.
Security forces rushed to the village in order to prevent a possible clash between the Kuki and the Naga groups. Manipur has remained tense for more than two-and-half years due to the conflict involving the Meitei and the Kuki communities. The security agencies fear that a Naga-Kuki conflict could further aggravate the situation.