Manipur Braces for More Violence as Kuki Militants Abduct and Kill Meitei Couple

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A shocking incident of ethnic violence has shaken the state of Manipur, where suspected members of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA) abducted a Meitei couple, killing the husband in cold blood. Mayanglangbam Rishikanta, a 38-year-old Meitei man, was shot dead by the militants despite pleading for mercy, while his wife Chingnu Haokip was thrown out of a vehicle before her husband's murder. The incident, which occurred in Churachandpur, marks a disturbing return to violence in the state, which has been under President's rule since February 2023. Over 260 people have lost their lives and 60,000 have been displaced since May 2023 due to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities. According to officials, Rishikanta and his wife were abducted from Churachandpur's Tuibuong and taken to Natjang, where the brutal murder took place. Chingnu Haokip had sought permission from the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), a militant umbrella body, to stay with her husband in Churachandpur, but KNO claims that the couple did not seek any permission. The killing comes just days before the President's rule in Manipur is set to expire on February 12. The state has been plagued by violence, with commandos and Assam Rifles destroying UKNA camps in the jungles of Churachandpur as part of an ongoing anti-insurgency operation. The UKNA, a proscribed group, has been involved in fuelling tensions in Manipur and preventing the restoration of normalcy. Officials have accused UKNA cadres of firing at houses of internally displaced people (IDP) who have been rehabilitated as part of the government's resettlement initiative. The government has launched a phased IDP resettlement program, with the first phase covering those whose houses were partially damaged. The second phase will involve families being allotted houses under the Union government's flagship housing program, while the third phase will cover families required to be sent to either the valley or the hills from where they fled during the start of the violence. A case has been registered, and Rishikanta's body has been retrieved. The police are investigating the incident, which has sent shockwaves through the state and raised concerns about the potential for further violence.