In response to Monday's gunfight in Manipur's Jiribam district, the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) has issued a notice stating that "no CRPF personnel shall be allowed to leave their camp premises."
Ten suspected Kuki-Zo militants were killed and one CRPF jawan was injured in the gunfight.
A day after the incident, the bodies of two elderly male civilians were recovered.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo organisation, alleged that the 10 persons gunned down by the CRPF were not militants but Kuki-Zo “village volunteers.” They were ambushed and murdered, the ITLF claimed.
“Any CRPF personnel found in violation of this notice shall do so at their own risk and responsibility. This directive will be in effect immediately upon the issuance of this notice and will remain enforced until the CRPF publicly acknowledges and apologizes for their barbaric actions in Jiribam,” the notice issued by the KSO read.
“In light of this statement, we urge all districts and blocks of the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) to align with the sentiments of the public and ensure immediate enforcement of this notice,” the notice further read.
A “total shutdown” is being observed in the Kuki-Zo areas on Tuesday to pay respect to those who died.
The Manipur police had stated on Monday that “armed militants” had attacked a CRPF post at Jakuradhor and Borobekra Police Station located nearby, and the CRPF and the police fiercely retaliated.
In a statement, the police stated that after the firing ceased, the area was searched and the bodies of 10 militants were recovered along with arms and ammunition. A CRPF jawan was injured and evacuated to Assam’s Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
The Kuki-Zo Council called for a total shutdown in the hill areas of the state from 5 am to 6 pm on Tuesday to express their "collective grief and solidarity with those who were brutally shot dead".