Meitei-Kuki Conflict Fuels Tensions in Manipur
Protesters in the Sagolband area of Imphal West gathered outside the home of BJP legislator RK Imo, son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. They demanded action from the government following the killing of six people. The agitators called for the arrest of the culprits within 24 hours.
Another protest took place at the residence of Keishamthong constituency’s independent legislator, Sapam Nishikanta Singh, on Tiddim Road. When they learned he was out of the state, the protesters targeted a local newspaper office owned by him, a senior officer reported.
The killings came to light when police found six bodies, including three women and three children, five days after they were taken hostage. The victims, from the Meitei community, were abducted by suspected Kuki insurgents in Jiribam district near the Assam border. Sources indicated that the hostages were taken from the Bokobera area during a clash.
Tensions between the predominantly Hindu Meitei and Christian Kuki communities have created deep divisions in Manipur.
