The forum also referred to recent incidents in Kamjong district in which civilians were killed
KRC TIMES Manipur Bureau
Imphal | More than 200 Naga households have been displaced after dozens of houses in eight villages across Manipur’s Noney, Tamenglong and Kangpokpi districts were allegedly razed, according to a memorandum submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The memorandum was submitted on October 1 by the Former & Senior Leaders’ Forum of Zeliangrong Civil Organisations (FSLFZCOs), which said residents of several frontier settlements had fled their homes fearing further attacks.
The forum named Sempat Naga, Gaidunluang and Chamripeu among the affected settlements and urged the state government to formally recognise the displaced Zeliangrong families as internally displaced persons (IDPs) and extend relief and rehabilitation benefits. The development comes amid renewed tensions between Naga and Kuki communities in parts of Manipur. The forum also referred to recent incidents in Kamjong district in which civilians were killed
The FSLFZCOs identified several border villages, including Konsaram and Chawangkining, as vulnerable areas and called for the immediate deployment of security personnel.
The organisation also sought the Governor’s intervention to strengthen security along National Highway 37, the Imphal-Jiribam corridor, amid concerns over the safety of commuters and transport operators.
It proposed security escorts for public vehicles six days a week, with staging points at Keithelmanbi and Tupul Bazar. Alternatively, it sought an 11-hour daily security presence along the highway.
The memorandum referred to a 1994 ambush during the Kuki-Naga conflict, when an insurgent attack on a passenger bus reportedly killed 40 civilians, as the basis for its demand for enhanced security along the highway.
The forum also called for formal reorganisation to address inter-district boundary disputes, which it described as a major source of continuing land-related tensions between Naga and Kuki communities.
The allegations regarding the destruction of houses and the circumstances surrounding the displacement require verification by the authorities.
