Guwahati: Violent protests in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district forced the CRPF to release seven Kuki villagers late on Saturday night after they were detained earlier in the evening.Tension escalated in the district after news spread that security personnel had detained several villagers, prompting an angry mob to chase security vehicles, block their way and pelt them with stones while setting tyres on fire.The protesters also dug up sections of NH-2, along the Imphal-Dimapur route, continuing their agitation for nearly two hours, before the villagers were released around midnight. “With the release of the detained villagers, the situation came under control,” a police source from Kangpokpi said.Protesters alleged that the seven villagers, near Kholen village, were detained without any explanation.The development comes days after Naga-inhabited Chawangkining village, along the Imphal-Tamei road, was allegedly attacked by suspected Kuki militants from the Kholen side. While no casualties were reported, two houses were burnt before the attackers withdrew following retaliation by security forces.The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of Kuki tribes based in Churachandpur, condemned what it described as the “arbitrary arrest” by CRPF of seven villagers from Kholen, including a Church leader.“This unwarranted detention comes at an excruciating moment for our community, following the merciless killing of six Kuki villagers, including two women, by the NSCN (IM), with another woman tragically succumbing to her injuries early today. The total inaction against the perpetrators, combined with the ongoing threats faced by the victims, represents a shocking, unconstitutional failure of law enforcement and a clear reflection of systemic injustice against the Kuki people,” KIM said in a statement on Sunday.“Adding to this grave injustice is the state apparatus’s unprovoked use of full force against civilians peacefully protesting for basic rights and security. The deployment of live bullets against peaceful demonstrators and the deliberate vandalisation of their vehicles, including that of reputed journalist Kaybie Chongloi, are egregious violations of fundamental constitutional freedoms,” it added.KIM demanded an investigation into the alleged detentions and the use of force, besides compensation for damaged property.
