A mob vandalises vehicles of a joint team of forces that came to destroy illegal poppy cultivation
The chief of a key Kuki body in Manipur faces legal action after a mob attacked a small team of security forces when they tried to destroy illegal opium poppy fields in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on January 31.
The Manipur government in a statement said a team of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) went to destroy illegal poppy plantations in the hill range of Kangpokpi district's Lhungjang village, 40 km from the state capital Imphal, when they were confronted by a large mob armed with sticks.
Lhungjang is the native village of Ajang Khongsai, the chief of Kuki Inpi, the government said.
"An FIR [first information report] has been filed at Saikul police station for further investigation into the incident. The government takes the incident very seriously and condemns the mob violence in the strongest terms. Strict legal action will be taken up against all those involved, including Ajang Khongsai, who is linked to both the village and the incident..." it said in the statement.
The Kuki Inpi is an organisation that has endorsed the demand by Kuki leaders and militants under the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement for a separate administration carved out of Manipur.
"The operation targeted a large tract of land used for poppy cultivation, which has been identified as a key source for the production of illicit opium. Despite the clear intentions of the authorities to enforce the law and tackle the drug menace in the region, the drive was met with violent opposition," the government said in the statement.
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"A large mob armed with sticks gathered at the site, forcibly halting the operation. Taking advantage of the limited number of police personnel, the mob vandalised three police vehicles and threatened the personnel to stop the destruction drive. The situation quickly escalated, and a reinforcement team led by the SP [Superintendent of Police] Kangpokpi rushed to the spot to control the mob and restore order and ensure the continuation of the destruction drive," the government said.
The Kangpokpi SP, Manoj Prabhakar, is an Indian Police Service officer who suffered a gash on his forehead during a protest by members of the Kuki tribes on January 3, days after protesters tried to stop security forces from dismantling bunkers on the hills. Many women from the Kuki tribes were injured in clashes with the security forces on December 31 on the hilltops, when the forces went to remove the bunkers. One woman lost an eye.
The Manipur government said the combined team eventually managed to destroy 45 acres of illegal poppy cultivation.
On Sunday, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in a post on X said over 25 acres of poppy cultivation have been destroyed in Tengnoupal district.
"I commend the coordinated efforts of Tengnoupal district police, BSF, AR, reserve line teams, forest department, and the executive magistrate in tackling these illicit activities," Mr Singh said.
Earlier, Mr Singh reached out to his counterpart in neighbouring Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a show of support to the Assam Police for destroying illegal opium poppy cultivation worth over Rs 27 crore. The police in Assam's Goalpara destroyed 170 bighas (over 56 acres) of poppy plantation in January, Mr Sarma said in a post on X on Sunday.
Manipur has been experiencing ethnic violence between the valley-dominant Meitei community and over a dozen distinct tribes collectively known as Kuki, who are dominant in some hill areas of the state. Both communities have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation.
The Kuki tribes have alleged the Biren Singh government targeted poor farmers in the hills who have no other sources of income and ignored the role of drug lords living in Meitei-dominated valley areas.
The Manipur government has refuted the allegations and shared data to assert no community was singled out in the state's 'war on drugs' campaign.
