A tragic incident has ignited anger and grief in the Kuki-Zo communities as 11 Hmar Village Volunteers were killed in what is being described as a “cold-blooded murder” by combined forces of the Manipur Police Commandos and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
The killings occurred on November 7, 2024, shortly after the tragic death of Zosangkim Hmar, a young mother of three, who was brutally raped and murdered, along with the burning of 17 houses in Zairawn Village by Meetei militants and Arambai Tenggol. The assault occurred despite the presence of CRPF personnel in the village.
According to the Kuki Inpi Jiribam, Tamenglong & Noney (KIJTN), the Hmar Village Volunteers, upon learning that the perpetrators of the Zairawn incident were reportedly sheltered at the Jakuradhor Police Station by Manipur Police Commandos and CRPF, approached the CRPF personnel. They requested that the Meetei militants be handed over, assuring that they meant no harm to the central security forces. However, the volunteers were allegedly fired upon indiscriminately while relaxing after the discussion, resulting in the loss of several lives.
The Kuki Inpi has strongly condemned the incident, questioning why Zairawn Village was allowed to be attacked under the watch of the CRPF, while the same forces turned their guns on the Hmar volunteers. “The CRPF must take moral responsibility for the failure to protect Mrs. Zosangkim and Zairawn village and for the cold-blooded murder of the village volunteers,” the Kuki Inpi stated in a press release.
In light of the incident, the Kuki Inpi has called for a thorough investigation by a central investigating agency and demanded the immediate withdrawal of CRPF forces from the Kuki-Zo villages of Jiribam, citing growing insecurity among the villagers.
Additionally, the Kuki Inpi has called for the removal of Meeitei militants, particularly the banned UNLF, from the region, accusing them of being sheltered under the guise of peace talks with the central government. The Kuki Inpi also endorsed a 24-hour total shutdown called by the Kuki-Zo Council across all Kuki-Zo inhabited areas to protest the killings and demand justice for the victims.
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