Manipur’s Divide
The ethnic tensions in Manipur between the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Meitei community have brought the state's governance under intense scrutiny.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Manipur police chief and the state government over latest killing of 13 people in a gunfight in Leithao village in the Tengnoupal district.
According to NHRC state issued on Friday, the incident highlights a “lapse” on the part of the law enforcing agencies and the forces deployed to ensure peace and law and order in the state.
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Terming the latest incident of killing of 13 people in the area ‘alarming and disturbing’, the NHRC has observed that the incident is a serious issue of human rights violations and is a matter of concern.
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The commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter after a media report claimed that “at least 13 people were killed in a gun fight in Leithao village near Saibol in the Tengnoupal district, Manipur.”
The incident, according to the report, took place on December 4, the day election commission announced assembly poll results in another Northeastern state Mizoram.
“The state of Manipur and its people have already suffered a lot. It is firmly reiterated that it is the duty of the state to protect the life and properties of its citizens both private and public and to promote fraternity and spirit of brotherliness amongst the communities,” the NHRC said in the statement.
Following the media report, the rights panel issued notices to the chief secretary of Manipur Government and the state’s the director general of police (DGP), seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
The detailed report, according to the statement, should include the status of the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police and the steps taken by the Manipur government to ensure such incidents of violence don’t take place in the state.
Manipur has witnessed months of violence between two ethenic groups – Kuki Zomi and Meitei. However, the situation is relatively calm and the state is slowly returning to normalcy.
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