The Shongthu Chate

B ased on a video footage released by suspected UNLF and Arambai Tenggol terrorists themselves on social media, this article attempts to decode how Govajang village, the last standing village in Khamenlok area of Saikul subdivision, Kangpokpi district, was burnt down with a staged drama. 1. INTRODUCTION Govajang village is the last, and lone remaining village in Khamenlok area of Saikul subdivision, Kangpokpi district. Khamenlok area has ten(10) Kuki villages, namely 1. Khopibung (where Florence & Olivia, the two Kuki girls gangraped and murdered by Meitei terrorists belong), 2. Khamenlok, 3. Chullouphai, 4. Phainom, 5. Aigejang (the village with the church wherein scores of them died), 6. Leikot, 7. Thombol, 8. Jordanphai, 9. Songjang and 10. Govajang. This area was attacked and burnt down, except for a few houses, by the Meitei mob led by Manipur Commandos and Arambai Tenggol combatants, with the support of Col. Akash Oinam, a Meitei Army officer, on 13-14 June 2023. Meitei vill...

The Meitei community has been strongly against border fencing during the last decade, from 2013 to early 2023. But in the last few months, the same community has suddenly changed its position in favour of fencing the border and scrapping of Free Movement Regime (FMR) when the Nagas, Mizos, Kukis, and even the NSCN-IM, are opposed to it. The question is why this change of position all of a sudden? BACKGROUND The Indo-Myanmar borderland is inhabited by various tribal communities including the Nagas, Mizos, and Kukis, among others. These trans-border communities have been living in this part of the world for centuries. Though they were later divided by artificial boundaries drawn passing through their hills, they continue to have socio-cultural ties without much problem even after India’s independence. Knowing this reality, the Government of India (GOI) formally introduced the Free Movement Regime, or the FMR, for these tribal groups. However, the recent decision of the GOI to withdraw th...

Mr. Nongthombam Biren Singh, the present Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur, was a former footballer playing for BSF, and the editor of a Manipuri (Meitei language) daily newspaper, before switching over to politics in 2002.  For more than two decades, Biren had been representing Heingang AC winning five consecutive state elections (2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022). As a shrewd politician, he was an integral part of Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh’s ministries during the 15-year Congress led government. However, in the later part of 2016, he left the Congress and joined the BJP, and after the 2017 state election, he was unexpectedly chosen as the first BJP CM, and repeated the same feat in 2022. Apart from his professional career, Biren is known to be closely associated with the Valley Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs), particularly RPF/PLA and CORCOM. So, it was obvious that he became the CM with their blessings despite enjoying the support of only 6 out of the 21 BJP MLAs in 2017. Meanwhile, he ...

After eight months of ethnic violence in the state, the Meitei Chief Minister, N.Biren Singh, declared on 6th Januray 2024 that a “war” had just begun in Moreh. According to him, the conflict have so far been between two communities, but now it is a “war”, supposedly referring to the increase of gunfights between the Village Volunteers (VV) and Meitei intruders –  Police Commandos (CDOs), Armed Militias, and Valley Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs).  Meanwhile, this strategically located town, an international border trade centre between India and Myanmar (Burma), is once again back in the news headlines as there has been exchange of gunfights between VV and Meitei intruders for two consecutive days, i.e., on 7th & 8th January 2024. The continued violence involving atrocities committed by Meitei intruders against innocent civilians and heavy exchange of gunfire in this border town is not unexpected as it has been designed by intellectuals and defence strategists in a war roo...

When the Meiteis started the current ongoing ethnic pogrom against the Kukis on May 3, 2023, little did they imagine that it would stretch the whole year. They have entirely underestimated the Kuki-Zo. Now that the year has lapsed and a new year has dawned, it’s time for the majority community, Meiteis, to assess what they have actually benefited from declaring a ‘national war’ against a minority community.  At the beginning of the war, the Meiteis rampaged the Kuki-Zo (henceforth Kuki) in Imphal and hounded the people like dogs. Meitei society, from all hues, was cheering the Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun as they went about venting their deep-seated envy, insecurity and misplaced apprehensions. Biren was even hailed in some corners as a legendary Meitei leader who has gone full throttle to regain Meitei’s ‘lost glory.’ However, as the war went on, Kuki started regrouping after their initial setback when they were caught napping. Soon, the Meiteis intruders were ‘Khamenloked’, s...

Moreh is a tiny border town in Tengnoupal district and is strategically located along the Indo-Myanmar international boundary. The town is inhabited largely by the Kuki-Zo communities along with the Muslims (Meitei Pangals), Meiteis, Nagas, Tamils, Nepalis, and others. For decades, all these communities have been living together peacefully. Whenever there is misunderstanding between any two parties, all the major civil society organisations would come together and find a solution. However, the dynamics of inter- community relationship between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei in this cosmopolitan border town changed abruptly since the beginning of the state-sponsored violence on May 3, 2023. When the ongoing ethnic pogrom began, the Kuki- Zo communities were caught unaware. Even after the violence began, they still thought that the state government and its law enforcing agencies would take everything in its hand to contain the spread of the riots. With this in mind, the Kuki-Zo people in Moreh, a...