Imphal, Sept. 1 -- Fresh violence was reported along the remote IT Road in Manipur's Kangpokpi district early Tuesday, with firing and arson incidents allegedly targeting villages inhabited by the Liangmei Naga community.
According to the Makui Village Authority, a group of armed men allegedly attacked Pipuram Naga Village around 4 am and opened fire before setting several houses on fire. The authority claimed that houses, food grains, household articles and other belongings were destroyed in the incident.
The attackers allegedly proceeded towards the main Makui Naga Village, where firing continued, the village authority said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
At least one person was reportedly injured in the violence. A road blockade and exchange of gunfire were also reported in the area during the early morning hours.
The Makui Village Authority condemned what it described as an attack by Kuki militants on Pipuram and Makui villages. It alleged that the attackers attempted to torch houses in the main Makui village with the intention of causing large-scale casualties.
The authority also referred to an earlier incident on August 27, claiming that four Makui villagers were killed in what it described as a pre-planned ambush between Makui Ashang Village and Thanambam Village.
It said the latest incident, coming shortly after the alleged killings, had intensified apprehension among residents living along the IT Road.
The village authority alleged that the repeated attacks were aimed at forcing Liangmei Naga residents to leave the area and taking control of what it described as their ancestral land.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
The IT Road cuts through a remote and sparsely populated region of Manipur, where Kuki, Naga and Nepali communities live in scattered settlements across the hilly terrain.
The area has witnessed periodic tensions, road blockades and armed clashes involving Kuki and Naga villages. The latest violence has again raised concerns over the safety of communities residing along the route.
Further information on the extent of damage, the number of casualties and the condition of the injured person was awaited.
Manipur CM urges protesters not to call bandhs
Meanwhile, a general strike called by an organisation demanding implementation of NRC affected normal life in Manipur on Tuesday, as Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh urged people to refrain from calling bandhs and choose other forms of agitation.
The 24-hour general strike was called by Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) to press for the demand for implementation of NRC updation before conducting the census, though the Centre on Monday deferred the exercise in the state.
Market establishments and business centres remained closed, and streets wore a deserted look.
Educational institutions also remained closed while public transport remained off the road in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts, officials said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.