Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing has urged Manipur’s Home Minister to deploy three companies of security forces in Kamjong following fatal shootings, arson and the burning of 23 houses.
Imphal, Oct. 11: Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing has urged Manipur Home Minister K. Govindas Singh to immediately deploy three companies of security forces, preferably from the state forces, in Kamjong district amid recurring incidents of firing and arson along the border areas.
In a letter dated October 10, Keishing said he had earlier requested Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to deploy three companies of state forces to strengthen security in the volatile border areas of Kamjong district. The request was made through a communication dated September 24, based on a report from the Kamjong Superintendent of Police.
According to the MLA, one company of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) was subsequently dispatched by Police Headquarters. However, before the personnel could be deployed on the ground, an incident occurred near Chassad on the evening of October 9.
Keishing stated that armed militants opened fire on security personnel led by the officer-in-charge of Chassad Police Station while they were moving to sanitise the Chassad cemetery following reports of suspicious movement. Security personnel also returned fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire from different locations.
At around 10.30 pm, a Tangkhul-owned house was allegedly set on fire, the MLA said.
He further stated that intermittent firing and arson intensified after 4 am the following day, resulting in the burning of 23 houses—12 belonging to Tangkhuls and 11 to Kukis. Two people, identified as Domkhonei Touthang and Micheal Haokip, were also killed during the exchange of fire at Chassad, according to the letter.
The MLA also referred to a separate incident at Ningchou village, around 15 kilometres from the Kamjong district headquarters, where two people were reportedly shot dead in an attack by armed men from the border area. The deceased were identified as Ngachanso Ningshen and Leishisan Leishadang, secretary of the Ningchou Village Authority.
Keishing said such incidents had been reported repeatedly in the district’s border areas. He called on the Home Minister to ensure adequate security to protect residents and their properties, prevent further violence and restore peace and normalcy.
The letter was addressed to Home Minister K. Govindas Singh on October 10. The account of the incidents and the request for additional deployment were based on the MLA’s communication.
