Tension continued to mount across Noney, Tamenglong and parts of Kangpokpi districts today as protests intensified over the killing of a Naga Village Guard during a security operation at Bitiang village under Tupul Sub-Division yesterday morning.
Responding to the incident, the Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTCM) had announced an emergency shutdown of National Highways with immediate effect. Since early morning today, hundreds of villagers assembled along key stretches of the highways at Khongsang and Namdilong, bringing traffic to a standstill. Protesters also enforced the closure of shops and other business establishments, disrupting normal life in the affected areas.
The Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation Manipur (RNYOM) also enforced a total shutdown across Tamenglong district headquarters in protest against the killing.
Meanwhile, the last rites of the deceased Village Guard, Lanbimei Riamei, son of Kadirang Riamei of Longmai Bazar in Noney district, were held at the Longmai Part-III Church Community Hall in the presence of a large gathering of mourners, community leaders and local residents.
The Rongmei Naga Council (RNC), Manipur, the Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTCM), and several other organisations strongly condemned the alleged attack on Naga Village Guards (NVGs), which left one volunteer dead and another critically injured.
In a statement, the RNC alleged that the operation carried out on the morning of July 29 involved CoBRA commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) acting in collusion with Kuki armed groups and the Zeliangrong United Front (J) [ZUF(J)]. The council described the incident as a serious violation of human rights, democratic principles and the ongoing peace process.
According to the RNC, the operation targeted Village Guards and civilians defending their ancestral villages, thereby undermining communal harmony and creating fear among local residents.
The council further alleged that the authorities had failed to deliver justice in the earlier killing of six Naga civilians despite repeated appeals, and said the latest incident reflected a continuing pattern of neglect.
Holding senior officials accountable, the RNC demanded the immediate transfer and removal of Rajendra Narayan Dash, IPS, Inspector General of CRPF for Manipur and Nagaland, and Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Manipur, alleging administrative failure in handling the situation. It also called upon the Chief Minister and the Union Home Minister to accept responsibility for what it termed a breakdown of governance.
The JTCM stated that one Village Guard was killed and another sustained serious injuries during a combing operation conducted by security forces at Laphok (Bitiang) village on July 29.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, the council maintained that Village Guards are community volunteers constituted solely for the protection of civilians, including women, children and property, amid the ongoing ethnic conflict, and asserted that they are not members of any underground militant organisation.
The council questioned why the security forces allegedly treated the volunteers as armed militants and launched a large-scale operation, arguing that the loss of life could have been avoided through proper coordination with the district civil administration and local police. It also expressed concern over the reported absence of district authorities during the operation.
Referring to the unresolved killing of six Naga civilians earlier, the JTCM criticised what it described as selective enforcement and unequal treatment, noting that those responsible for the previous killings remain unidentified and unpunished despite repeated demands for justice.
The council said the use of force against Village Guards while earlier cases remain unresolved has deepened public distrust and raised serious questions about the impartiality of the security forces.
