Manipur uprising claims lives of two Naga people on Imphal-Ukhrul highway
Imphal: As uprising continues to grip Manipur amid New Delhi’s failure to restore peace, two Naga civilians were shot dead on Saturday along the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2) when unidentified armed assailants opened fire on vehicles heading towards Ukhrul district.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the deceased were identified as Chinaoshang Shokwungnao (45), son of a retired Indian Army personnel from the Naga Regiment, and Yaruingam Vashum (42). Both were residents of Tashar and Kharasom villages, respectively. The Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long, an apex Naga body, expressed strong outrage over the “brutal attack on civilians” near Yaolen Kuki village. It alleged that the attack was carried out by Kuki cadres under the Suspension of Operation pact with the government.
The Naga body said the attack occurred when passengers, including women, children, and ailing persons, were travelling in six vehicles from Imphal to Ukhrul. The convoy had passed Mahadev and Litan with security escorts, but was targeted by militants using snipers and sophisticated long-range weapons shortly after the escort team turned back. Both victims died on the spot.
The killings came a day after Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited Ukhrul and assured Road Opening Patrols and security escorts on the highway. The Naga body said the attack casts serious doubts on the credibility of the state government’s assurances.
Observers said the continuing killings reflect the deepening uprising and ethnic fault lines in Manipur under the BJP-led dispensation, with New Delhi’s policies failing to halt the cycle of violence and accusations of state complicity growing louder.
