End Kuki militants’ terror : Orgs

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 9: The bomb attack on the house of a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier at Bishnupur's Tronglaobi that killed two children on April 7 marked yet another barbaric attack on Meitei civilians by Kuki militants, said Delhi based Manipur organisations.
The attack was part of the militants' continued campaign to target Meitei civi- lians to advance their evil designs to break Manipur and create their imaginary so-called ‘Kukiland’, said the organisations.
The Meitei Heritage Society, Delhi Manipur Society (DeMas), TMP Manipur, NUPI and Delhi Manipur Academics Fraternity held a press meet at Delhi today.
Speaking at the press meet virtually, Oinam Babuton, the grandfather of the two children killed, said the Government must immediately arrest and give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators.
"There has to be an end to Meitei civilians being attacked and killed by these militants,” he said.
In a joint statement issued after the press meet, the organisations said the Government must identify and arrest the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of the babies and give exemplary punishment.
The organisations said the Government must take conclusive action to dismantle the infrastructure of Kuki militancy, disarm all armed Kuki groups before any peace efforts are initiated, and fix accountability for the repeated failures to prevent such attacks.
As stressed in their press meet, their statement afterward highlighted a series of incidents of Kuki militants targeting and killing civilians amid the Manipur conflict since May 2023.
In January 2026, Mayanglangbam Rishikanta was executed on camera. He had gone to meet his Kuki wife in Churachandpur and was abducted from his wife’s home, said the organisations.
In November 2024, six members of a Meitei family, three women and three children, including a 10-month-old infant, were abducted from their home in broad daylight and butchered in cold blood, before their bodies were thrown in the river.
In November 2024, a farmer, Sophia Leima, was shot dead while working in a paddy field.
In September 2024, the first case of a drone bombing on Indian soil occurred at Koutruk, Imphal West. A Meitei woman, Ngangbam Surbala was killed in the attack.
In July 2023, two students, Hemanjit and Linthoingambi were abducted and executed in captivity.
The organisations noted that people's faith in the Central security forces amid the conflict has been eroded due to the failure of the forces to prevent Kuki militants' attacks on civilians.
“The so-called peace initiative by the Government appears to be a farce simply because no peace effort can progress, if you allow these militants to bomb babies to death,” the group of Delhi-based Manipur organisations said.
"Even today, Meiteis can’t access the National Highways in the State, their fundamental right.  No peace deal will ever succeed by holding an entire community hostage. This isn’t a peace negotiation, but blackmail,” they added.
The responsibility of protecting the lives and property of citizens lies squarely with the Central and State Governments, the organisations said, seeking actions to curb violence and resolve the conflict.