Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has pledged that the state government is deploying every available resource to resolve the ongoing crisis involving multiple abductions in the hill districts. During a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Imphal, a delegation from the Liangmai Naga Council and the Liangmai Naga Women Union formally requested the immediate recovery of six missing individuals, including a pastor, who were allegedly abducted by armed men in the Kangpokpi district on May 12.
Official reports indicate that 38 people were taken hostage across Kangpokpi and Senapati districts on May 13, following an ambush that resulted in the deaths of three church leaders. While 31 hostages have since been released, community leaders remain distressed, with the Liangmai delegation requesting the return of bodies for last rites should their missing kin be confirmed dead. Furthermore, representatives urged the government to increase police presence in vulnerable Liangmai villages to ensure community safety.
In response, the Chief Minister confirmed that state police and CRPF units are conducting extensive combing operations to locate those still missing. Kuki Inpi Manipur, an apex Kuki organization, has also reported that 14 individuals from their community continue to be held captive. As the state grapples with the fallout of ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities that began in May 2023, Singh has appealed for public cooperation, urging all groups to renounce violence and assist in restoring regional harmony. The ongoing conflict has already claimed at least 260 lives and displaced thousands of residents.
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