Primary Health Centre Set On Fire In Manipur's Jiribam

In a fresh incident of arson in Manipur, a primary health centre (PHC) was torched by unidentified people in Jiribam district on Thursday, officials said. The incident took place in Borobekra area, less than 200 metres from a police outpost, early in the morning, they said. No injuries were reported as nobody was inside the PHC at the time of the incident. Security forces have rushed to the spot.

The police are yet to give a statement on the incident.

Five people were killed in fresh violence in Jiribam on September 7.

The Jiri Apunba Lup in a statement today alleged massive attacks have been carried out with heavy gunfire and powerful bombs targeting some Meitei villages, namely Ningthem Khunou, Mongbung, and villages in Borobekra sub-division in Jiribam.

"Yesterday, at 7 pm, gunfire and bombing attacks were launched on Mongbung Meitei village by a large number of Kuki terrorists..." the Jiri Apunba Lup alleged, adding the security forces should do more to prevent such attacks.

Jiribam is where Meitei and Hmar leaders met for peace talks last month, along with security forces commanders. They had given a joint statement agreeing to work for peace. Churachandpur-based Kuki groups, however, had objected to the peace talks, alleging the peace talk parties did not represent their interests and met only at Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh's bidding.

The Hmar Inpui, however, declared it would not recognise the peace initiative and warned the individuals who participated in the meeting to "stop their blind and selfish efforts". The Hmar Inpui, referring to Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community, had said these leaders appeared to be bowing to the "whims and fancies of a divisive and communal government under the leadership of Biren Singh..."

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands left homeless in ethnic violence between the Meitei community dominant in the valley and the Kuki tribes dominant in the hill districts of southern Manipur and some other areas since May 2023.

Ethnically-diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by violence for over a year since May 2023, saw major clashes in June.

Thousands had to leave their homes and relocate to relief camps due to incidents of arson by both sides. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was also killed in an ambush by suspected Kuki insurgents during patrolling by security forces in mid-July.

With inputs from PTI