Imphal: Normal life has been badly affected in five to six Imphal valley districts on Tuesday after 13 civil society organisations called for a 24-hour total shutdown to protest the reported abduction of six people, belonging to the Meitei community, in Jiribam district, where 11 suspected Kuki militants were killed during an encounter with the CRPF.
The 13 civil society organisations, including Peace and Social Advancement (IPSA) and Peoples’ Action for National Democratic Movement (PAMDM), called the shutdown from 6 p.m. on Tuesday and it would continue for 24 hours, said the IPSA) in a statement on behalf of all the organisations.
It said that they are demanding the immediate rescue of the six abducted people, who were reportedly kidnapped by the Kuki militants after Monday’s incident at Jakuradhor Karong area in Jiribam district.
“There is no rule of law in the state. The government has totally failed to protect the unarmed people from the attacks of the heavily armed militants at Koutruk, Senjam Chirang and Kadangband areas,” the statement said.
The security forces also continued their search operation to nab the fleeing militants and to rescue the missing persons, who have been untraced since Monday’s violent incident.
Police said in Imphal that during a search operation for the missing persons, two bodies of Laishram Balen and Maibam Kesho, belonging to the Meitei community, were recovered from the Jakuradhor Karong area where a few more houses and shops were set on fire by suspected Kuki militants on Monday.
Little over 100 people were staying at the relief camp near the Borobekra Police Station.
Police said that the two victims and the missing persons were the inmates of the relief camp and the villagers of the nearby villages.
Local media said that the six missing persons were of the same family.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the apex body of the Meitei community, also demanded immediate “rescue” of the six untraced people, alleging negligence by both state and central forces leading to the abduction.
A police official in Imphal said that the Central and state security forces are patrolling vulnerable, sensitive, and mixed-population areas of Jiribam district, where the district administration clamped curfew for an indefinite period soon after Monday’s incident to prevent further escalation of violence.
–IANS