Kuki ex-army jawan 'beaten to death' in Meitei area, police use tear gas to quell protesting students in Imphal Valley

The Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley witnessed strong protests by students at several places demanding action against the Kukis for the fresh violence since September 1.

Guwahati: A former army jawan, belonging to Kuki community, was allegedly beaten to death at Sekmai, a Meitei-dominated area in conflict-hit Manipur's Imphal West while police on Monday had to use tear gas to quell protests by students in the Imphal Valley districts. 

Kuki organisations said the victim, Limlal Mate, was attacked after he reportedly drove his car into the area by mistake on Sunday night. The body of Mate, a resident of Sharon Veng in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district, was found in a pool of blood on Monday. Sources in a Kuki organisation said he was a former army person. Mate had lost his wife a few years ago and was living with his son, a source said.  

Police, however, did not make a confirmation about the incident. 

After the Meitei-Kuki clash broke out in May last year, Kukis fled the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley districts while Meiteis left the Kuki-dominated districts in order to avoid conflict. The central forces including the army have been deployed along the "buffer zones" separating the two regions since then. But sporadic incidents of attack along the peripheral areas have kept the state on the boil.

Students' protest in Valley

The Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley on Monday witnessed strong protests by students at several places demanding action against the Kukis for the fresh violence since September 1. Police had to fire tear gas shells as students pelted stones targeting the Raj Bhawan at Imphal. A video shared on social media showed a group of protesters removing the tricolor from the Deputy Commissioner's office compound in Thoubal. The same, however, could not be verified with the administration. They shouted slogans seeking protection of territorial integrity of Manipur and rejected Kuki groups' demand for a "separate administration." 

As protest escalated, CM N. Biren Singh met representatives of the protesting students at Imphal and assured them to take steps for restoration of peace in Manipur. 

Schools shut, examinations postponed

As Meitei organisations announced "public shutdown" in Imphal Valley to step up pressure on the BJP government in the state for initiating action against the Kukis for the fresh violence since September 1, Manipur government shut schools and postponed undergraduate and postgraduate examinations of Manipur University, scheduled on Monday and Tuesday. A notice issued by the university said the examinations have been postponed in view of the present situation. The fresh dates for the examinations would be announced at a later stage, it said. 

Kuki, Meitei insurgents killed

Manipur police on Sunday night said three out of five persons, who died in a gunfight between armed groups in Jiribam district on Saturday, were members of Kuki Liberation Army, a Kuki insurgent group. Another deceased was a cadres of UNLF (P), a Meitei insurgent group. Five people were killed in Jiribam hours after Kuki insurgents allegedly killed a Meitei elderly man at Moirang in Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district. Police said Kuki insurgents used a rocket in the attack. Kukis, however, denied the allegation. 

Police on Sunday night said the three KLA members hailed from Churachandpur. "It seems they had traversed a long distance to Jiribam to execute the subversive activities, " police said in a statement. The UNLF (P) member hailed from Jiribam, it said. 

Situation in Manipur turned volatile again after nine people were killed and several others were injured in four separate fresh conflicts in Imphal West, Bishnupur and Jiribam districts since September 1. 

At least 135 people have died and over 60,000 others have been displaced due to the Meitei-Kuki conflict since May last year. Sporadic incidents of violence have kept the state on the boil despite the presence of central security forces including the Army.