Manipur: Tension in Imphal West district after man goes missing

Imphal (The Utta Hindu): After more than a week's lull, tension resurfaced in Manipur's Imphal West district, which borders the hilly Kangpokpi district, after a 56-year-old Meitei man was reported missing since Monday evening, officials said on Tuesday. A police official said that Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, a resident of Loitang Khunou village in the district, left his residence on Monday evening to the Leimakhong military station, where he worked as a casual worker, but went missing as he did not report to the Army station in Kangpokpi.

Singh’s mobile phone has also been switched off since he left home. The official said that the Army and the Manipur Police launched a combined search operation to locate the missing person. Singh’s family members said that he did various unskilled jobs at the Leimakhong military station, located 16 km away from the capital Imphal and surrounded by Kuki-Zo tribal-dominated areas. After the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May last year, people belonging to the Meitei community fled the areas near Leimakhong village.

According to police, a large number of men and women from Loitang Khunou village were on the way to Leimakhong to find his whereabouts but the security forces stopped them near the Kanto Sabal area to prevent any further escalation of the situation. After being stopped, the agitating people blocked the road leading to the headquarters of the Army's 57th Mountain Division in protest.

After the mob violence in the Jiribam district on November 17, no incident was reported from any of the districts from either the valley region or hilly areas. Meanwhile, considering the safety of the students, teachers and non-teaching staff, the Education Department closed the educational institutions including schools and universities in the five valley districts till Tuesday. The Higher and School Education Departments, in consultation with the Home Department, ordered the suspension of normal classes in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching districts.

The Manipur Home Department extended the suspension of mobile internet and data services in nine districts including the trouble-torn Jiribam district till November 27. The nine districts, comprising both the valley and hills, are Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Jiribam, and Pherzawl.