Tensions have escalated in Imphal as scores of people surrounded Manipur’s premier healthcare institute, the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), protesting the admission of three Kuki youths who were brought in with bullet injuries following an incident of firing in Kangpokpi district Monday morning.
RIMS is a central government healthcare centre located in Imphal West. Scores of people surrounded it on Monday afternoon after news spread that three Kuki men had been brought there for medical treatment, amidst escalated communities. The protesters also include people from the Meitei community, who have been in conflict with the Kuki-Zo community since May 2023.
Tensions flare up in Imphal as large crowd surrounds premier hospital over treatment of injured Kuki menhttps://t.co/eKRoW3zvgF
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According to a senior police official, an incident of firing had taken place in the area between Konsakhul, a Naga village, and Leilon Munlui, a Kuki-Zo village, at around 6 am on Monday. This is an area which has particularly seen heightened tensions, where on May 13 following which their bodies had been found last week, inflaming tensions in the state.
“According to reports received, there had been firing from both sides and a total of three people were injured in L. Munlui. All three were evacuated to RIMS and were taken by CRPF and Army since it is the only place which has the required medical facilities to treat their bullet injuries,” said the official.
Kuki groups have identified the three injured as Genlenmang Vaiphei, Paugoulal and Lunliandaw Vaiphei, and have said that they are “village volunteers”, an informal term used in Manipur to refer to armed men stationed at their villages in the ongoing conflict situation.
However, once they were admitted to RIMS, both Naga and Meitei protesters began gathering at the institute. One of the key features of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo conflict has been restricted movement of people from one community to areas where another community are in the majority, meaning restricted access to Imphal by members of the Kuki-Zo community.
One of the gathered protesters, Julia Shinglai, a member of the Foothills Naga Coordination Committee, said, “We are very disappointed with how the government in giving special treatment to the Kukis. Their sick is escorted to Imphal for treatment or to the airport when our movement is limited within certain areas. If they want treatment, let them get it in Kangpokpi or Churachandpur.”
With the numbers building, security forces deployed a few rounds of tear gas to disperse the crowd. As of 4.20 pm, there are still a large number of protestors gathered outside the gates of the institute, all of which have been closed to block their entry.
“This is a very terrible and unacceptable situation. RIMS is not for any particular community but we have people saying that people from one particular community cannot go and take treatment there, and putting unwell and injured people in danger,” said Thangtinlen Haokip, a member of Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity.
