Following a recent shooting incident involving a farmer, the Manipur government announced on Friday that it will provide enhanced security to farmers in vulnerable areas to prevent further untoward incidents. A senior police official confirmed that adequate security measures would be put in place to ensure the safety of cultivators in their fields.
This decision comes after a turbulent Thursday, which saw a woman killed in Churachandpur district and a farmer shot in Bishnupur district in separate incidents. The farmer, identified as Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a Meitei cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant while working in his paddy field at Phubala Maning in Bishnupur. Singh was initially treated at the District Hospital in Bishnupur before being referred to the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) medical college and hospital in Imphal, where his condition is now reported as stable.
Retaliation and Fatalities
In response to the attack on Singh, security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village. During this operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed attackers and retaliated. Tragically, during the crossfire, Hoikholhing Haokip, a Kuki tribal woman and wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi village, was found dead with a bullet injury.
The Manipur police have registered cases in connection with both incidents, and investigations are underway. Combined security forces are continuing search operations to apprehend the perpetrators, with efforts focused on bringing those responsible to justice swiftly. Additionally, security arrangements related to farming activities in the area will be reviewed. The public has been urged to maintain peace and refrain from circulating unverified information.
Ongoing Land Disputes and Affected Farming
These incidents highlight the persistent tensions in Manipur, particularly over land access and farming rights. Just five days prior, on June 15, a dispute over a paddy field and land ownership in Imphal East district caused tensions to erupt, requiring the deployment of additional security forces. A police official noted that a Meitei farmer attempting to plough a field in Sadu Lampak village, near a Kuki-inhabited area, was met with objections from Kuki villagers claiming the land.
An official from the Agriculture department stated that as the Kharif (monsoon) season (June to October) approaches its peak, unresolved land access disputes and the lack of effective farmer protection continue to deepen ethnic divides and fuel unrest in Manipur’s conflict-affected regions. The ongoing ethnic violence has significantly impacted farming activities in both the Imphal valley and hilly areas over the past two years.
Arrests of Militants
Meanwhile, security forces have made significant arrests, apprehending eight militants, including a woman cadre, belonging to various banned outfits across Imphal West, Tengnoupal, Kakching, and Bishnupur districts in the past 24 hours. Among those arrested are two active cadres of the banned People’s Liberation Army, apprehended from Wangoi Bazar in Imphal West district, with some materials recovered from their possession.