Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Suspected Kuki militants opened fire on farmers in Manipur's Ukhrul district on November 12. The attack occurred at 3:05 pm near the Lungter Hill range. Newton Mahung, a 45-year-old local farmer, took a bullet to his right shoulder. Conflicting reports identify him as 49 years old with injuries to his right forearm and three fingers on his left hand. The shooting happened at Ihang Plains, just 300 meters from a residential area.
Villagers are furious. They watched the 105 G Company BSF post sit idle during the assault. The village authority had requested extra security three weeks before the harvest began. The guards did nothing. Only after State Police, Manipur Rifles, and the 151 F Company BSF returned fire from the village cemetery could rescuers reach the trapped farmers.
Agricultural production has cratered. Farmers have managed to plant only 2% of the village's total paddy land due to constant threats. Residents now face a grim choice between starvation and violence. The village authority demanded a formal inquiry into the BSF's delay. They also requested immediate medical aid for the wounded and better protection for the fields.
Violence remains a recurring threat in this region. In March 2026, militants trapped a mother and her son in the same hills before the Mahar Regiment saved them. The village authority remains defiant despite the danger. "A farmer should not have to risk his life to harvest his own paddy. And no village should have to fight for the right to survive," the group stated.
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