Right under the nose of the Army Infamy of Leimakhong
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Stage a rally demanding free flow of essential commodities and at the same time attack and set on fire at least six houses, all at a civilian settlement at Leimakhong. One, a rally staged to demand free flow of essential commodities and tell the victim story for the outside world to see and hear and at the same time furtively attack a village and set on fire at least six houses, reducing them to cinders in no time. A tactic that has been employed to ‘devastating effect’ from the time Manipur went up in flames in the evening of May 3, 2023 and fast forward to July of 2026 and the same tactic continues. A look back at the not so distant past should tell the undiluted story. Manipur woke up to the horrifying news of three Thadou Church leaders waylaid and killed while going back home to Kangpokpi from Churachandpur on May 13, 2026. Even before the people and Manipur could digest the news thoroughly, Kuki Inpi, Manipur and the other Kuki CSOs came out guns blazing in pointing the finger of accusation at the NSCN (IM) and the Kamson group of the ZUF. A total shutdown in Kuki dominated areas followed on the day itself, that is May 13. While KIM and the other Kuki civil society organisations had the alibi of asserting that the total shutdown was only in Kuki dominated areas, in effect it meant cutting off the Naga settlements in places such as Senapati, Ukhrul and Tamenglong from Imphal. After waiting for a few days and after a stint of verbal duel via statements to the media, the United Naga Council came up with its inter-district blockade from May 17. That this would put the Kukis settled at Kangpokpi side in a fix was a foregone conclusion for it meant cutting off the supply chain at Senapati itself and since the evening of May 3, 2023, Imphal and the places where the Meiteis inhabit have been dubbed the ‘valley of death’, the supply line from this side too had remained cut off. Caught in between and it was to demand free movement of goods and essentials that a large number of Kuki staged a rally at Leimakhong area. Playing the victim card to demonstrate to the world how the Kuki people have been victimised no end, but this was not the end, for even as the rally was on, some Kuki elements surreptitiously descended on a Meitei settlement at Leimakhong and went about setting houses on fire, during which six were reduced to ashes. Now Leimakhong is a highly fortified area, what with the GOC of the 57 Mountain Division sitting there but in line with what has been happening here since May 3, 2023 evening, the presence of the Army appears to have gone to serve the ‘interests’ of the Kuki extremists. To put it bluntly, at least six houses belonging to the Meiteis were set ablaze right under the nose of the security personnel ! This is what is hard to digest but come to think about it, this was not the first time that Leimakhong has occupied prime space in all the newspapers published from Imphal, for it was not so long back that a Meitei civilian, Kamal Babu from Tripura disappeared after appending his signature at the entry gate of the Army garrison at Leimakhong. This was on November 25, 2024 and even after a lapse of more than one year, there is nothing to show that the Government has done anything to trace him. He remains missing till today.
This should illustrate how safe Leimakhong is but to some, particularly the people behind the disappearance of Kamal Babu and the arsonists of July 11, the safety net provided by the presence of the Army could mean the leeway given to them to do anything as they please. It is along this line that so many have questioned how a number of houses could be attacked and burnt down in the presence of so many security personnel. This is what makes the conduct of the security personnel all that more questionable and herein lies one prominent reason why the security personnel, particularly the Army and Assam Rifles, have always been viewed with suspicion by the Meiteis as well as the Nagas. That Chief Minister Y Khemchand responded to the situation rather swiftly can be gauged from the fact that it did not take long for him to take to the social media to announce that two of the arsonists have been arrested but the bigger question is whether the State Government would be in a position to question why six houses were set on fire under the nose of security personnel. This is the question which must be raised before New Delhi for it is a given that the Army and Assam Rifles act and behave under instructions from the Centre.
This should illustrate how safe Leimakhong is but to some, particularly the people behind the disappearance of Kamal Babu and the arsonists of July 11, the safety net provided by the presence of the Army could mean the leeway given to them to do anything as they please. It is along this line that so many have questioned how a number of houses could be attacked and burnt down in the presence of so many security personnel. This is what makes the conduct of the security personnel all that more questionable and herein lies one prominent reason why the security personnel, particularly the Army and Assam Rifles, have always been viewed with suspicion by the Meiteis as well as the Nagas. That Chief Minister Y Khemchand responded to the situation rather swiftly can be gauged from the fact that it did not take long for him to take to the social media to announce that two of the arsonists have been arrested but the bigger question is whether the State Government would be in a position to question why six houses were set on fire under the nose of security personnel. This is the question which must be raised before New Delhi for it is a given that the Army and Assam Rifles act and behave under instructions from the Centre.