Imphal: A 44-year-old man was shot dead in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Tuesday, prompting local youth groups and village authorities to condemn the killing and call for better civilian security.
They blamed the incident on security gaps following the withdrawal of security forces from the area.
According to joint statements issued on Tuesday by the Kuki Youth Organization (KYO) Leimakhong Block, the P. Muolding Village Authority and the P. Muolding Youth Club, Paolenmung Thangeo was killed at around 7 am.
Thangeo and his companion, Laldenga, had gone into a forest near P. Muolding village to collect bamboo shoots when armed men attacked them. Laldenga escaped, but Thangeo sustained fatal injuries.
The P. Muolding Village Authority alleged that members of the NSCN-IM and ZUF(K) were responsible for the attack. Security agencies have not independently verified the allegation. Thangeo is survived by his wife, Kholneichong Thangeo, and their three children.
The local organisations said the killing pointed to wider failures to protect vulnerable communities. The KYO questioned the government’s inability to ensure civilian safety and asked how many more lives would be lost before authorities addressed the situation.
It linked residents’ vulnerability to two developments: the dismantling of village volunteer groups and the withdrawal of security forces from the Leimakhong area.
The groups also referred to an earlier case involving Hemjang Haokip, a 71-year-old Kuki man who was allegedly abducted and beaten to death. They said the lack of progress in that investigation had contributed to a sense of impunity.
The P. Muolding Youth Club described the latest attack as a violation of the right to life and human dignity. It urged all groups in the region to exercise restraint and stop using intimidation.
The organisations called on the Central and Manipur governments to restore security arrangements in Leimakhong and nearby areas.
They warned that continued inaction and the absence of an impartial and transparent investigation would further weaken public trust in the government’s ability to maintain law and order.