Kuki rebel leader among four shot dead in Manipur; Meitei groups meet MHA officials

Guwahati: A leader of a Kuki insurgent group in truce and three others were killed by unidentified gunmen in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Monday.

Sources in a central security force said that the deceased included T. Haokip, the deputy chief of Kuki National Army (KNA), one of the Kuki insurgent groups, his two associates and a woman bystander. The three were shot dead from a close range at Mongjang village, situated in the outskirts of Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated district. The three were travelling in a car when the ambush took place. The woman, aged about 60, died in the firing, said the source.

Factional fight

KNA is one of the 17 Kuki insurgent groups, which have been into a Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the government under the banner Kuki National Organisation (KNO). United People's Front (UPF) is another umbrella body of Kuki rebel groups, which is also under the SoO pact.

Although police said that those behind the attack has not yet been identified, sources said United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a Kuki insurgent group, claimed responsibility for Monday's attack. UKNA is not part of the KNO or UPF. The Kuki rebel groups recently held a meeting with officials of the MHA in New Delhi to find a solution to the ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and the Kukis.

"It is suspected to be a factional fight among the insurgent groups. It seems UKNA is not happy with the decisions being taken by the KNO and UPF regarding the conflict with the Meiteis," the source said.

Churachandpur was the epicenter of the conflict involving the Meitei and the Kuki communities since May 2023. But Monday's incident was not linked to the conflict.

Meitei groups meet in Delhi

The incident took place on a day three influential organisations of the Meiteis held a meeting with officials of the MHA in New Delhi as part of government's efforts to find a solution to the ongoing conflict.

The Meitei delegation included leaders of Co-Cordination Committee on Manipur Unity (COCOMI), Federation of Civil Society Organisation (FOCS) and All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO). This was for the first time that three influential Meitei civil society organisations met the MHA officials together since the conflict started in 2023.

The Meitei delegations reiterated their demand against bifurcation of Manipur as demanded by the Kuki groups, beside other issues, sources said.

In a statement issued after the meeting on Monday evening, COCOMI said the Meitei organisations pressed for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or a similar mechanism to solve the problem of illegal migration in Manipur, resettlement of the internally displaced people in time-bound manner, preferably within this year, resumption of transportation on the highways, beside others. They also opposed to further extension of the Suspension of Operations agreements with the Kuki insurgent groups.

Manipur has remained under President's Rule since February due to the conflict.