Manipur Violence: Village chief recounts horror leading to burning of his village, wife paraded naked

Thangboi Vaiphei, Chief of B. Phainom, village having about 40 households, under Island Block in Kangpokpi district, recounted the horror leading to the burning of his village on 4^th May, 2023, citing the failure to provide protection to the innocent villagers by the Assam Rifles posted there and the state’s police partisanship in neglecting the Kuki tribals.

Phainom village, situated in the Phowaibi area bordering with three districts of Manipur – Kangpokpi, Thoubal and Kamjong, lies in the periphery area of Hills and valley. Though the village is located within Island Block, Saikul Sub-Division in Kangpokpi district, the village falls under the jurisdiction of Nongpok Sekmai Police Station.

Thangboi Vaiphei, now sheltered at one of the Relief Centre in Churachandpur district, managed by the Young Vaiphei Association, a philanthropic organisation, shared his ordeal, narrating how his own village was burnt down to ashes on the 4^th of May, 2023, how his wife and one other woman were paraded naked by the Meiteis and how two of his villagers lost their lives.

Thangboi said, after violence the escalated-on the 3^rd of May, 2023 in Churachandpur, the clash spread like wild fire in other parts of Manipur too. On the evening of May 3, being the Chairman of Phowaibi Area Vaiphei Chiefs’ Association, he made a phone call to the OC of Nongpok Sekmai Police Station and sought for security of their villages in the area. As the area was inhabited by three communities – Kukis, Nagas and Meiteis, the Chiefs’ Association along with other counterparts from the Nagas and Meeteis chalked out all possible efforts to subside the violence in the area and formed a Peace Committee for maintenance of peace in the area. The peace committee was constituted with members from the Zilla Parishad and Pradhan. However, even the peace committee failed to neutralised the escalating violence that was prevailing in the area.

”On the evening of May 3, some Meitei started arsoning of Kuki tribal villages and some houses of our villages were set on fire. Even after seeking protection from the state police, they acted otherwise, and instead acted as catalysts to the Meitei mobs who came there to burnt down our villages. We have also written application to the 33 Assam Rifles D-Company for protection. However, our request was vehemently unheard as the AR told us that they did not receive permission from the higher authority,” he said.

On the 4^th of May, 2023, he said his village was completely razed to the ground and all his household items, furnitures looted and even their domestic animals were not spared by the advancing Meitei mobs. After his village was completely burnt down, the villagers run helter-skelter in search for safety.

“I was taken away in four-wheeler vehicle blindfolded by the Meitei miscreants in an isolated place. Two people – father son duo, from my village was beaten to death at near Tolbul, a Meitei village after they were dragged out from the vehicle, who were going to drop a sick person. The deceased daughter and my wife (Chief’s wife) who were accompanying them were paraded naked, stripped and their clothes and belonging were taken away. After which they were freed,” he said.

Another person from Haokhongching was also beaten to death by the Meiteis, his corpse was later picked up by the Nongpok Sekmai Police station. The village chief was also freed after several hurls and abuses. Later on, he reached the nearby Tangkhul villages by foot, where all his villagers were taking shelter. The Tangkhul villagers also did not allowed them to take refuge inside their village. They let them take refuge in the jungle nearby, fearing that the Meiteis might even attack them if found sheltering the Kukis.

The Village chief and his family somehow reached Bongmol village in Tengnoupal district, from which they travelled towards Churachandpur via Sugnu. He is now taking shelter at Rostad Memorial High School Relief Center.

The Chief blamed the Nongpok Sekmai Police and the Assam Rifles for failing to give them protection. “The Police even took sides favouring the Meiteis and neglecting the plea of the Kukis in Phowaibi area. If timely intervention had been made by the Police and the AR, many damages could have been avoided,” he said, adding that the villagers were now scattered in different places and it would be hard for them to even think of re-establishing his village.

Around 12 villages of Kuki tribals in Phowaibi area was completely burnt down. The affected villagers are now taking refuge in some of the Relief Centres at Churachandpur.