Manipur: Kuki group gives Churachandpur DC, SP 24 hours to leave after cops kill 2

COCOMI, a Meitei organisation, said the violence by the Kukis had a "hidden agenda" and was aimed at sabotaging the government's plan to deport all post-1961 migrants.

Guwahati: Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district in Manipur remained tense on Friday as Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), a forum of Kuki bodies, served a 24-hours ultimatum to the DC and SP to leave the district, a day after two protesters were killed in police firing during a mob violence.

Holding the SP Sivanand Surve and the DC S Dharum Kumar responsible for the violence and the subsequent firing by the security forces, the ITLF threatened to close all government offices in the district if the DC and the SP did not leave the district. "Both the SP and DC will bear the responsibilities for any untoward incidents that may fall on them.

The DC and SP should be replaced by Union Territory cadres preferably from the Kuki-Zo community," ITLF chairman Pagin Haokip and secretary Muan Tombing said in a statement after a meeting on Friday morning.

The ITLF said two Kukis, Thanggunlen Haokip, aged 15 and Letlalkhuol Gangte, 29, died and at least 25 others were injured in police firing as a mob stormed the office of the SP and DC on Thursday evening after their demand to withdraw suspension of a police constable was not met.

Manipur police on Thursday night said that a mob of around 300 to 400 people attempted to storm into the SP office and pelted stones forcing the security forces to fire tear gas shells.

The mob gathered hours after the SP issued an order suspending a head constable Siamlalpaul, a Kuki, who was seen posing a photograph with armed Kuki men.

But the protesters claimed that he was posing with "village volunteers," who were defending the Kuki villages against constant attacks by the Meitei armed miscreants.

The ITLF asked why the administration did not take action against the police personnel belonging to the Meitei community, who were often seen posing photographs and in videos with armed Meitei groups like 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," ITLF said. "Inquiry should be initiated on all security force personnels, who were involved in the firing of civilians and should be punished as per the law. Our MLAs should be involved in the situation and take up all the issues to the government," ITLF said.

The Manipur government reimposed the restrictions on the use of mobile and broadband internet in Churachandpur for the next five days to prevent further escalation of the situation. The security forces also conducted a flag march on Friday. The violence between the Kukis and Meiteis that have killed over 200 people, began in Churachandpur in May last year.

Hidden agenda:

Reacting to the fresh tension in Churachandpur, the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an influential body of the Meiteis, on Friday said there is a "hidden agenda" behind the attack on the office of the SP and DC. "As the state Cabinet passed a proposal and the CM recently announced about deportation of all post-1961 migrants from Manipur, the Kukis set fire on the DC and the SP office to destroy the documents such as voters' list. Destruction of such documents will help them claim Indian citizenship for the illegal migrants who infiltrated from Myanmar," the COCOMI said in a statement. The COCOMI reiterated its demand for abrogation of the suspension of operation agreement with the Kuki insurgent groups alleging that they violated ground rules of the agreement by resorting to violence like the one that took place on Thursday.