In violence-hit Manipur Kukis defending their land with barrel guns

Imphal: The Kuki community in Manipur’s Kangoi subdivision has taken up arms to protect their village from external threats. With a strong sense of unity and determination to protect their land, the village youth have formed a defense force, arming themselves with single-barreled guns, authorized by legitimate licenses obtained from the Manipur government.
Speaking from a checkpoint strategically located along the village boundary, a Kuki man, who has been active in protecting and protecting his community, expressed his views. “We are fully responsible for the security of our village, and we have never launched any offensive,” he asserted. “Our main focus is defense.
We have seen incidents in the past where our village was attacked by Meitei men, allegedly supported by the local authorities. It caused catastrophic damage to 58 houses, including two private schools, a poultry house, and even a police post.”
The recent outbreak of communal violence in Manipur has resulted in the tragic loss of 71 lives and displaced scores, causing significant displacement in the small state of 3.6 million. According to stakeholders familiar with the situation, a large number of the Kuki tribe have been forced to leave their homes in the valley areas, while the Meiti community is fleeing the hills.
The Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an organization working with the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to restore peace, has reported that a staggering 7,472 mighty hill districts have migrated to the Imphal Valley. Additionally, around 5,200 Kukis have left Imphal and surrounding areas since the violence began on May 3.
Letzamang Haokip, the BJP MLA representing Henglip in Churachandpur district, where the initial fire incident occurred on May 3, revealed that thousands of Kuki are now moving back to the hills.
In Manipur, the affluent Meitei community, composed mainly of Hindu Vaishnavites, constitutes 53% of the population, while the remaining 44% is represented by 33 tribes, including the Koki and Nagas.
Manipur consists of nine districts, five of which are located in the hilly areas where these tribes mainly live. Tribal communities mostly sustain themselves through traditional jhum (slash and burn) cultivation. The Meiteis, on the other hand, are concentrated in four districts spread across the valleys.