Manipur: 48-hour shutdown paralyses Kangpokpi after Kuki woman killed in firing

Normal life was disrupted in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Friday after the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) enforced a 48-hour shutdown to protest the killing of a Kuki woman in a firing incident near Taphou Kuki village.

Markets and business establishments remained closed, while buses and autorickshaws stayed off the roads, leaving commuters inconvenienced. The shutdown began at midnight on November 12 and followed an exchange of gunfire between suspected rival armed groups near Taphou Kuki village on Thursday morning.

The victim was identified as 40-year-old Kimneineng Chongloi, a resident of Taphou Kuki village. She was reportedly harvesting paddy when the firing broke out around 11 am in an area between Taphou Kuki and Kailengjang villages, near the border with neighbouring Senapati district.

Two other men, identified as Sehngam Chongloi alias David, 34, and Lamkhochon Chongloi, 46, also sustained bullet injuries in the incident. Both were taken to hospitals in Kangpokpi for treatment, with David later referred to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.

NH-2 traffic disrupted as CoTU demands withdrawal of security forces

The shutdown also affected movement along National Highway 2, which connects Imphal and Dimapur through Kangpokpi. Commuters were prohibited from travelling along the affected stretch.

Goods trucks, fuel tankers and other vehicles travelling from Imphal were stopped at Kanglatongbi in Imphal West district, while vehicles heading towards the state capital were halted in Senapati district.

A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some shutdown supporters were present on the streets and that security arrangements had been made to prevent further escalation of violence.

CoTU executive member Lamminlun Singsit announced the 48-hour total shutdown on Friday, alleging that the firing incident resulted from the failure of security forces operating under the command of the Senapati district Superintendent of Police (SP).

The organisation demanded the immediate withdrawal of security personnel operating under the Senapati SP from Kangpokpi district.

However, educational institutions, medical facilities and emergency services have been exempted from the shutdown, Singsit said.

Firing comes amid tensions over killing of two Kuki youths

Thursday's incident has further heightened tensions in the area, which had already witnessed unrest following the disappearance and killing of two Kuki-Zo youths from Taphou Kuki village.

Paoginlal Hangsing and Tinginlun Chongloi, both aged 20, went missing on October 28. Their bodies were recovered on November 1 from an area in neighbouring Senapati district, triggering protests and demands for stronger security arrangements.

Following the killings, security personnel, including personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force, were deployed in the area to protect villagers during the paddy harvesting season.

The latest firing occurred while villagers were working in their agricultural fields, raising fresh concerns over civilian safety despite the security deployment.

Naga farmer injured in separate firing incident in Ukhrul

Meanwhile, a separate armed attack in Manipur's Ukhrul district on Thursday left a Naga farmer injured.

The farmer, identified as 45-year-old Newton Mahung of Sinakeithei village, sustained a bullet injury to his right shoulder after unidentified armed persons allegedly opened fire on farmers working in their fields.

The incident was reported around 3 pm, with police sources indicating that shots were fired from the direction of the Lungter Hills. The injured farmer was taken to the district hospital in Ukhrul for treatment.

The two firing incidents have added to tensions between Kuki and Naga communities in Manipur's hill districts, where violence has continued to raise concerns over the safety of residents and agricultural workers.