A CRPF jawan was injured in a gunfight between two groups in Manipur’s Senapati district on Monday, while several houses were set ablaze in separate incidents, police said.
The violence has triggered fresh tension in the area and prompted local residents to block roads.
According to police, a house in Taphou Kuki village in neighbouring Kangpokpi district was set on fire at around 2.30 am. Several more houses were subsequently burnt in the Naga Taphou area of Senapati around 4 am.
The situation escalated further around 9.20 am when gunfire broke out between two groups in the Taphou Naga area. A CRPF personnel was injured during the exchange of fire and was taken to Senapati District Hospital. Police said he is now out of danger.
The incidents of arson also led to protests in the area, with locals reportedly gathering at Senapati Gate and burning logs and tyres on National Highway 2, disrupting vehicular movement. Security forces have since been deployed in the area to prevent further escalation.
In a strongly worded statement issued on August 24, the Taphou Kuki Village Authority condemned the burning of a residential house and called the act “highly deplorable, inhuman, and unacceptable under any circumstances.”
The village authority said the destruction of homes causes not only “immense loss of property and livelihood” but also creates “fear, insecurity, and deep emotional suffering among the affected families.”
It appealed to all individuals and groups to “refrain from violence, arson, destruction of property” and urged that grievances be addressed through “peaceful dialogue and lawful means rather than through violence.”
The statement also called upon the district administration, police and other authorities to immediately investigate the incident, identify those responsible and ensure that justice is delivered according to law.
The village authority further issued a 24-hour deadline to those responsible for the burning of the house to come forward and resolve the matter according to Kuki customary law. It warned that failure to do so could lead to an “untoward incident”, while also stressing the need for communities to maintain peace and restraint.
“We appeal to all communities to maintain peace, exercise restraint, and work together towards restoring trust, security, and peaceful coexistence,” the statement said.
