Kuki militants attack farmers, build new bunkers

Our Correspondent
MOIRANG, Aug 8: After slaying three sleeping men at Kwakta on August 5, Kuki militants continue to terrorise Meitei villagers by opening fire toward farmers at Phubala, Bishnupur district this morning.
On the other hand, Kuki militants have built bunkers in some abandoned houses of Meitei Pangals at Kwakta Ward No 8.
According to information culled from the spot, Meitei farmers who went to Phubala Maning Loukol (paddy fields) to tend to paddy plants were fired upon by Kuki militants at around 6 am today.
Earlier, Kuki militants had attacked farmers in two/three instances at the same place.
The paddy fields are located at the foothills above a high canal.
Troops of BSF and Sikh Regiment are stationed not far away from the area.
BSF troops are guarding Meitei villages on the lower side of the high canal whereas troops of Sikh Regiment have been guarding Kuki villages above the high canal.
It is not yet clear how the Kuki militants sneaked past the troops of Sikh Regiment and opened fire toward farmers.
On hearing the gun shots from Kuki militants, State forces and village volunteers retaliated and drove back the aggressors (Kuki militants).
It is suspected that at least 5 Kuki militants suffered were killed in the retaliatory fire.
There was no casualty on the side of the State forces and village volunteers.
Moreover, infuriated by the repeated attacks, a large number of villagers came out and marched to Pamyang and Chingphei village where Kuki militants have bunkers, and torched around five houses.  
There was also a brief stand-off between Central forces and the villagers but it was soon resolved.
One woman said that Kuki militants have been repeatedly attacking farmers  even as the Government has deployed security forces at vulnerable areas.
Repeated attacks by Kuki militants on farmers have bred a deep sense of resentment among the villagers, she said.
Both the Central Government and the State Government have been claiming every now and then that they have been working to restore peace and normalcy in the State but the violence has been going on unabated.
The vicious violence was started by the Kukis and they have levelled the Meitei settlement areas of Churachandpur, she pointed out.
“If the Government does not take up effective measures to end the violence at the earliest, we, women, would also join the fight against Kuki terrorists” she added.
Meanwhile, Kuki militants have built bunkers in some houses of Kwakta Ward No 8 after driving out many Meitei Pangal families  from their homes.
Apart from slaying three Meitei men while they were sleeping in the wee hours of August 5, Kuki militants have been repeatedly attacking Kwakta using automatic rifles, bombs and mortars.
Subsequently, many Meitei Pangal families have abandoned their houses and fled to safer places.
The Kwakta Ward No 8 Councillor said they appealed to both the warring communities through media yesterday to stop the violence.
Due to incessant firing by Kuki militants, Meitei Pangals are not able to offer prayer at the Kutub Wali Masjid located at Kwakta Ward No 8 Maning Leikai.
Already, many members of Meitei Pangal community have suffered casualties due to repeated attacks by Kuki militants at different wards of Kwakta, the Councillor said.
He lamented that neither the State forces nor the Central forces have done anything even as Kuki militants are constructing new bunkers inside Kwakta Ward No 8.
Meanwhile, a well placed source informed that BSF troops would be stationed at  Kutub Wali Masjid, Kwakta Ward No 8 Maning Leikai.
On the other hand, Kukis looted many household articles from abandoned and unburnt Meitei houses of Bangla this afternoon.
Although there are reports that ITBP and CRPF personnel would be deployed in the area, no security personnel has arrived in the area till date.