GUWAHATI: The Manipur government on Sunday transferred the Superintendent of Police of Kamjong, a Naga-majority district which witnessed a series of armed attacks over the past few months, even as a Kuki outfit announced a “total shutdown” of National Highway 202 from Sunday midnight till October 22 midnight over the violence.
IPS officer Jay Barange replaced Tholu Rocky, a Manipur Police Service officer from the Naga community, as Kamjong SP. Rocky will take charge as additional director of the Manipur Police Training College.
The transfer came a day after a Kuki community member was killed while four others were injured in an attack at Chassad village in Kamjong. Hours later, three Nagas were injured in a counter-attack.
The transfer also triggered protests with the Manipur Naga Youth Organisation accusing the authorities of doing it under pressure from a Kuki legislator. “The Nagas have long endured the state administrative, law and order failure in the hope of an early return of peace but the government appears appeasing only the troublemakers,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, which announced NH shutdown, threatened to pursue “larger forms of intense agitation”.
The outfit had enforced a similar blockade on NH 202, which connects the state capital of Imphal with Ukhrul, from July 27 till August 11.
A Kuki was killed while four others from the community were injured on Saturday.