Gunfight at N. Boljang between Meitei militants and SF says village Chief, COTU slams Manipur media

Even when the Union Home Minister convened an all-party meeting on June 24 to discuss the grave situation in Manipur, violence continued unabated in the peripheral area of Kangpokpi district.

On the afternoon of June 21 at around 6:00 pm, armed militants suspected to be from the valley attacked Tangnaum village, which is formerly known as Haraothel, in Kangchup Geljang Sub Division of Saitu Assembly Constituency in Kangpokpi district.

The armed militant resorted to unprovoked firing from Kanto Sabal, which is a Meitei village, and wounded one Indian Amry jawan, who was evacuated to Military Hospital at Leimakhong.

Barely, one and a half hours after the firing incident at Tangnaum village, another Kuki village Mongneljang, in Saikul Sub Division in Kangpokpi District was also attacked by suspected armed miscreants at around 7:30 pm.

Early morning on Thursday, June 22 a suspected Meitei armed militant attacked the 44 Assam Rifles at N. Boljang village under New Keithelmanbi Police Station. .

N. Boljang comprising around 20 houses is a Kuki village located in the peripheral area under Kangchup Geljang Sub Division of Saitu Assembly Constituency in Kangpokpi district

The village chief, Thanglun Haokip, in contrary to the news report the Assam Rifles stationed at his village were attacked by heavily armed miscreants suspected to be Meitei militants at around 5:00 am Thursday morning injuring two jawans who were on duty at the village UJB School.

He also said that the village UJB school was also damaged owing to the indiscriminate firing while adding that my house also got hit by several bullets.

"Fortunately, despite the heavy gunfight all my villagers are safe and sound", the village chief added.

He then recalled that one week ago the movement of suspected armed Meitei militants had been witnessed in the northern side of the village while drone surveillance was also seen thrice by security forces in the village.

The Indian Army in its official Twitter handle had tweeted that both the soldiers of the Assam Rifles who were injured are doing good and will join their buddies in Company Operating Base soon.

The authority concerned also confirmed that the gunfight was not between the Kuki militants and the security forces but between the Meitei militants and the 44 Assam Rifles.

Multiple sources also confirmed the non-involvement of the Kuki militants but rather the Meitei militants attacked the security forces at N. Boljang village.

Another reliable source said that the security forces in a calibrated response to the suspected Meitei militant attacked, managed to gundown some of the attackers and wounded several others while the security forces recovered an INSAS Light Machine Gun just a few metre away from the village UJB school.

The security forces chased down the militants who ran away from the villages after a short firing towards a deep gorge between N. Boljang and Kangchup Makhom.

A fierce gunfight ensued again between the suspected armed Meitei militants who are stuck inside the gorge and the Assam Rifles.

The source further said that the reported dead bodies and critically injured suspected militants were evacuated from Tairenpokpi village in ambulances in the presence of Lamlai Police Station Officer-in-incharge.

Five armed miscreants were also apprehended by the security forces but the huge mobs, mostly the Meira Paibis snatched out the apprehended armed miscreants from the security forces, the sourced added.

The situation was brought under controlled with the reinforcement from the CRPF and the Gorkha Regiment while operations are in progress.

It may be recalled that on the night of June 19, the Indian army apprehended four suspected cadres of the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) with 51 mm Mortar at Lilong in Thoubal District.

Meanwhile, the public meeting today at Kangpokpi district headquarters vehemently condemned the alleged misleading report of Manipur media as it also unanimously resolved that the proposed prefabricated houses for Internally Displaced Persons in Kangpokpi district shall be constructed only in the affected areas.

Village chiefs, including chiefs of the Kuki villages burnt down in the violence, various civil society organizations leaders and student body leaders held a joint meeting under the aegis of the Committee on Tribals Unity Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi district in connection with the proposed plan to construct prefabricated houses for the Internally Displaced Persons.

After lengthy deliberation, the COTU Spokesperson, Rev. K. Sitlhou while speaking to the media said that in a bid to address the plight of all Internally Displaced Persons affected by the persisting violence, the Government had announced to provide prefabricated houses as temporary shelters.

He continued that the meeting in connection with the proposed Government's plan to provide prefabricated houses was warmly welcomed and appreciated but unanimously resolved that such prefabricated houses shall only be constructed in the affected areas with a provision to provide security forces so that the Internally Displaced Persons could have a better ways for their survival.

The meeting also considered construction of prefabricated houses in a safer place would not serve any purposes for the Internally Displaced Persons and it will become meaningless.

The joint meeting also condemned the alleged misleading report of Manipur media in the strongest term stating that such unabated one-sided, and false media reports could not only create misunderstanding among diverse communities but also escalate the violence, and hatred beyond control.

COTU Spokesperson said that suspected armed Meitei militants attacked security forces deployed at N. Boljang Kuki village in the New Keithelmanbi area in Kangpokpi district on Thursday early morning.

However, the leading newspapers of the state, The Sangai Express, and various other media houses including Elite TV, the Ukhrul Times, etc., as usual, came out with misleading headlines as if the gunfight was between the Kuki militants and the security forces while some carried it as four Kuki militants shot dead by the security forces, he added.

He then challenged such media houses that if at all the gunfight was between the Kuki militants and the security forces, to provide evidence and list and details of all the four killed along with their photographs.

While slamming the alleged nefarious and misleading report of such media houses, COTU Spokesperson said that the concerned authority has confirmed that the attack on the security forces was perpetrated by the heavily armed Meitei militants, not Kuki militants as reported.

He then urged the authority concerned to take proper action against such media houses who could escalate the already volatile violence in the state.

The Committee on Tribals Unity Sadar Hills also warned that if the media houses that have published or telecast the incident of N. Boljang village in the wrong narrative failed to apologize, it will initiate legal action upon them.