Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh survives attack on his helicopter

Manipur Chief Minister Orkam Ibobi Singh and his cabinet colleagues had a narrow escape on Monday when suspected militants fired gunshots at the helicopter he was travelling in.

Security personnel at Ukhrul helipad, where the chief minister travelled from state capital Imphal to take part in official functions, immediately responded to the firing.

One security personnel was injured.

The chief minister had to cancel the official event and fly back to Imphal.

Manipur Police sources said Ibobi had several programmes lined up at Hunphung and Chingai villages in Ukhrul district, where he was scheduled to inaugurate a 100-bed Ukhrul district hospital and a power sub-station.

Elaborate security arrangements were made since Ukhrul is a Naga-dominated area and a stronghold of the NSCN(IM) group.

Nagas in Manipur support NSCN (IM)’s demand for a greater Nagaland, clubbing Naga villages from Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

Other communities in Manipur, especially the majority Meities, are bitterly opposed to the Naga plans, sparking off fears over the chief minister’s safety while travelling  in Ukhrul. Ibobi was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam and a few other ministers. The helicopter immediately left for Chingai but could not land in the remote village due to protests.

The Thangkul Naga Long (TNL), a Naga civil society pressure group, had imposed public curfew against the visit of the chief minister from Sunday.

Ukhrul was in total shutdown, as people refused to get out of their homes to cooperate with the district administration to hold the events lined up in the wake of the Chief Minister’s visit.

Ibobi, who landed at 9.30 am at Ukhrul, waited till 10.30 am before flying back to Imphal.

At the state capital, he convened an emergency cabinet meeting to launch a probe on the incident, official sources said.

Some months back, tribals in Churachandpur district blocked the roads when Ibobi Singh and other Ministers came to inaugurate two power sub-stations.

At 1.30 am on Monday, A bomb blast also ripped through the hall where the Chief Minister was scheduled to address the people and left one Indian Reserve Battalion personnel injured.