Fresh turmoil in Manipur's sensitive hill areas has claimed the life of an electrical worker on duty and left two dozen residences reduced to ashes. The first attack occurred on Wednesday along the conflict-affected Imphal-Tamenglong route near Lasan village, where essential utility infrastructure was undergoing urgent maintenance.
Lineman Shot While Restoring Power Lines
The deceased technician was identified as 36-year-old Paojangam Chongloi, who resided in Wakotphai village. Chongloi was carrying out repair work on an overhead electricity line when unidentified gunmen opened fire on him. Following the killing, a village body petitioned local law enforcement authorities to file a Zero FIR and initiate an immediate criminal inquiry. The complaint claimed that armed cadres affiliated with NSCN-IM, operating alongside volunteers from Langka village, carried out the fatal shooting. Police officials have not independently confirmed these allegations and are actively working to ascertain the true identities of the perpetrators.
Calls for Independent Time-Bound Inquiry
The fatal shooting drew sharp condemnation from the Kuki Civic Action Committee, which approached both the Central government and the state administration of Manipur. The committee pressed authorities to institute an independent and time-bound investigation into Chongloi's death. Furthermore, the civic body insisted that no armed faction should be permitted to function outside the boundaries of the law, irrespective of political ties or existing ceasefire arrangements.
Arson Destroys 24 Homes Across Two Naga Settlements
In another outbreak of violence in Kangpokpi district, armed miscreants unleashed an arson attack across two Naga villages during the early morning hours. The incident unfolded around 5 am at Makui Khuman and Makui Thanamba (Chamruioiu), two settlements falling under the jurisdiction of the Chalwa police station. Armed groups set residential properties on fire, damaging at least 24 dwellings across the two localities.
Local accounts noted that the inhabitants of these targeted homes were already displaced by earlier unrest and had been sheltering at Makui Khunjao. When the arsonists struck, no security personnel were present or stationed at the location. In response, the Makui Village Authority called upon both the Centre and the state government to intervene without delay, deploy sufficient security detachments in sensitive border pockets, assess the property destruction officially, and institute robust safeguards for vulnerable communities.
