Widespread outrage has erupted across the Kuki-Zo community following the killing of Hoikholhing Haokip, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi, who was reportedly shot dead during crossfire on the evening of June 19 at Langchingmanbi, Lamka.
“…security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village. During the course of the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed miscreants and the forces retaliated accordingly. During the crossfire, one woman from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury. She was later identified as Mrs. Hoikholhing, wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi. Local police have attended to the incident and the deceased is being transported to District Hospital, Churachandpur for necessary legal formalities. Cases have been registered in connection with the incidents, and investigation is underway,” Manipur Police tweeted.
However, despite the Manipur Police’s statement, several civil society organisations, including the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), and the Joint Kuki Civil Society Organisations, have issued strongly worded statements condemning the incident and calling for immediate justice.
In its statement, KWOHR described the killing as a “cold-blooded and targeted act of violence” that reflects the ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign against the Kuki people.
Despite the existence of a government-declared buffer zone meant to prevent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities, the group alleged that “Meitei militants have repeatedly violated the buffer line, escalating tensions and endangering civilian lives.”
“The buffer zone is meaningless if only one side respects its boundaries,” the statement read, accusing the state of failing to maintain neutrality and protect the Kuki population. KWOHR demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, strict enforcement of the buffer zone, deployment of neutral central forces, and a judicial inquiry into the killing and other recent buffer zone violations.
The ITLF, in a separate statement, also condemned the killing, calling it “yet another chapter in a systematic campaign of state-sponsored ethnic cleansing against the Kuki-Zo minority.”
The forum held the state government directly responsible for the deteriorating security situation and accused the authorities of allowing a “culture of impunity” to prevail through inaction.
In response to the incident, the ITLF announced an indefinite shutdown across Kuki-Zo territories as a mark of protest and mourning.
The group called on the central government to take urgent and concrete measures to ensure the protection of tribal lives and territory.
The Joint Kuki Civil Society Organisations issued a statement later the same day, endorsing the ITLF’s call for the shutdown and expressing solidarity with the grieving family and the wider Kuki-Zo community.
The coalition echoed concerns of state complicity and urged all Kuki communities and institutions to strictly observe the shutdown with immediate effect.
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