Given an ultimatum by a key Kuki outfit to leave Manipur’s Churachandpur within 24 hours, the district’s Deputy Commissioner has told The Indian Express he “cannot abandon people and disappear”. The Kuki-dominated district saw violence on Thursday night after a Kuki head constable was suspended over a video showing him alongside armed men from the community.
Angered over the suspension, a mob of hundreds stormed the offices of the Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Commissioner. As security forces retaliated, two people – 29-year-old Letlalkhuol Gangte and a youth aged 15 – were killed.
On Friday, The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum – an influential Kuki-Zo organisation – called for a shutdown in protest against the two deaths and issued a public notice stating that it held the Superintendent of Police Shivanand Surve and DC S Dharun Kumar “entirely responsible” for the incident.
“As high-ranking officials, the SP and DC are fully aware of the nature of the conflict in Manipur and the sensitivities involved on the ground. But that did not stop from acting in a manner that would lead to tension and violence,” it stated, adding that the “firing order on civilians is done by the District Magistrate”
The ITLF threatened that if the suspension of the head constable was not withdrawn within 24 hours and the two officers did not leave, all government offices would be closed and “both the SP and DC will bear the responsibilities for any untoward incidents that may fall on them”.
They also demanded that the two officers – both from the Manipur cadre – be replaced by Union Territory cadre officers, “preferably from the Kuki-Zo community”.
While Surve could not be reached for comment, Kumar told The Indian Express, “We will take a decision based on the situation as the SP and DC cannot abandon people of a district and disappear. We have to protect the general public come what may, that is why we are here… We are All India Service officers who have come from faraway places to help people and work under challenging circumstances. We have no issue in serving in any location where the government deems fit.”
In his order suspending the head constable, seen at what appears to be a “frontline” firing position in the hills, the SP had said it was “tantamount to a very grave misconduct.”
On Thursday night, the mob had also set ablaze state property which, according to security officials, resulted in damage to the DC’s official residence, parts of his office and several vehicles. Dozens were injured as security forces repelled the mob.
