GUWAHATI: A Naga organisation in restive Manipur has issued a three-day “public ultimatum” to state and central governments to drive out Kuki rebels from Naga areas and hand over the case involving the killing of four Naga civilians in Ukhrul district on Friday to the National Investigation Agency.
The four civilians, Kapangkhui RS, her son Haoleila RS, Khanmila Keishing and August Ngalung, all from Ukhrul district, were killed in a firing incident when they were travelling to Imphal from Ukhrul in two vehicles.
The attack was perpetrated in the New Heaven area on National Highway 202, locally known as Imphal-Ukhrul road. The government said unknown armed miscreants were involved in the attack.
After the killing, a meeting was held among Tangkhul Naga civil society organisations where the decision to issue the ultimatum was taken.
“This is the fourth such incident at the same location. The entire responsibility for failing to protect the lives of innocent civilians is solely fixed upon state and central governments,” said Tangkhul Naga Long, a Naga organisation.
Stating that Naga people have lost complete faith in the central security forces, the organisation said all central security forces deployed on that stretch of the road must be immediately withdrawn.
“The victim families resolved not to claim the bodies until then. Failing this, it is resolved that the general public would be compelled to resort to an indefinite agitation until complete justice is delivered,” the organisation warned.
The attack came a day after a Kuki woman was killed and two men from the community were injured in a similar firing incident in Kangpokpi district. Ukhrul and Kangpokpi are Naga and Kuki-majority districts, respectively.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in the state.
“It was decided that combing operations will continue to nab the culprits involved in various crimes. It was further decided that the respective security posts will have to strengthen security cover in their area of deployment,” a government statement said.
The meeting deliberated at length on measures to further strengthen the security arrangements in vulnerable areas. The state’s home minister Govindas Konthoujam and top officials of Manipur Police and central security forces attended the meeting.
