(Photo courtesy Naga groups) IANS
Imphal, June 11 (IANS) A 24-hour total shutdown called by the United Naga Council (UNC) to protest the killing of six Naga civilians severely disrupted normal life across Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur on Thursday.
The UNC, the apex body of the Naga community in Manipur, called the shutdown from 6 a.m. on June 11 to 6 a.m. on June 12 in protest against the killing of six villagers who were abducted by armed groups belonging to different tribal communities on May 13.
Their mutilated bodies were recovered on Wednesday from a forested area near Kharam Vaiphei village, a predominantly Kuki-Zo tribal settlement in the Saitu-Gamphazol Sub-division of Kangpokpi district.
According to police officials, shops and markets remained closed throughout the day, while government and private offices, educational institutions and financial establishments also suspended operations. Private vehicles and passenger transport largely stayed off the roads as the shutdown affected routine activities across the region.
The UNC urged citizens to observe the shutdown peacefully and stand in solidarity with the Naga community until justice is delivered to the victims and their families.
The tribal body also announced that the mortal remains of the six Naga hostages would not be received until its four-point charter of demands is addressed and justice is ensured by both the Manipur government and the Centre.
Among its key demands are the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with all Kuki militant groups and the immediate arrest and prosecution of all Kuki National Front cadres allegedly involved in the abduction of 18 Naga civilians, including two pastors, from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13 and the subsequent killing of six of them.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen -- who belongs to the Thadou tribe, which forms part of the broader Kuki-Zo community in Manipur, and several individuals and more than a dozen organisations have strongly condemned the killings.
The Manipur Chief Minister had earlier stated that the cases relating to the abduction of the six Naga villagers, along with the killing of three church leaders in Kangpokpi district on May 13, had already been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a detailed probe.
The recovery of the bodies of the six Naga civilians came just hours after 14 hostages belonging to the Kuki community were released on Tuesday (June 9) following nearly four weeks in captivity.
According to police officials, the 14 Kuki villagers were handed over to a police station in Senapati district on Tuesday (June 10) by the UNC and the Naga People’s Organisation (NPO).
At least 50 people belonging to the Kuki and Naga communities were allegedly held hostage by different armed groups in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts following the violent incidents of May 13, during which three church leaders were killed and four others were injured in Kangpokpi district. Around 30 individuals from both communities were released on May 14 and May 15 following sustained efforts by authorities, community leaders, and several civil society organisations.
Various organisations representing both the Naga and Kuki communities had since been staging protests and demanding the safe rescue of the abducted persons -- six Nagas and 14 members of the Kuki community.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Manipur Police on Thursday said that, in view of recent developments, intelligence inputs indicated that armed cadres were planning attacks on isolated villages in the hill districts. Acting on these inputs, security forces launched a joint operation in the Horei Kaphung Hills (Lower Leishan Ridge) area of Ukhrul district.
"During the operation, approximately a dozen armed cadres were spotted on top of the hills. While some of them fled, eight cadres were detained, disarmed, and later let off with a stern warning not to venture into the hills or carry weapons, as such activities are prohibited,” the statement said. According to the police, a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and other war-like stores were recovered from unauthorised bunkers located on the hilltop.
The statement added that security forces remain committed to continuing operations aimed at safeguarding all affected communities and vulnerable villages across the region.
