Seven more individuals were found shot dead on the following day. The first incident took place on the hillock of Thumbi Ching in Manipur’s Imphal east district at around 9.30 a. m. which was followed by two similar but separate incidents near Keibi and Kangla Sangomsang villages in the same district at around 11 am wherein two more non-locals said to be manual workers were killed.

Two other non-locals who run a bakery at Kakching bazaar in Thoubal district were also reportedly shot dead at around 4.50 pm. At the same time, one more labourer was found killed near Kumbi village under Bishnupur district at around 9.40 p. m.

Almost all the victims who lost their lives on March 17 evening were said to be small time traders or hawkers while the others happen to be manual workers. They were taken to these places by the unidentified armed men in a mini truck separately in the guise of carrying out some manual work.

In the Keibi incident, most of them escaped with minor injuries as they scattered in all directions soon after they were fired upon by the unidentified armed men near the village which is about 20 km north east of Imphal. Two of the labourers who suffered bullet injuries were evacuated to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital for treatment.

Fortunately there has not been any report of further killing in the chain of gruesome killings targeting the non-locals in Manipur after the imposition of curfew in greater Imphal area as well as parts of Bishnupur district from March 18 onwards.

Curfew was imposed from 6 p. m. to 5 a. m. daily in four valley districts including the greater Imphal area. It was once relaxed for three hours till 9 p. m. on the first day of the five day Yaoshang, the greatest festival of the Manipuris which falls on March 21.

Earlier, state authority imposed restriction only on the movement of all vehicles on March 18 but it was converted into curfew on the following day.

The motive behind the killing is not known as none of the underground outfits operating in the region have claimed responsibility for the killing till the filing of this report though Director General of Police, Manipur, Yumnam Joykumar accused proscribed Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup for their involvement.

In a hurriedly called press conference on March 20 afternoon, the DGP even claimed to have gunned down two of the four who were involved in the killing of seven non-locals at Charoibung area under Mayang Imphal police station in Manipur’s Imphal west district on March 19 night.

However in a swift reaction, the outfit concerned rejected the claim of the state police chief saying it was nothing but an attempt to tarnish the image of the outfit. Apabi Mangang, Deputy Secretary Publicity and Research of KYKL in a statement refuting the police allegation informed that both the slain youths were not cadres of the outfit but sympathisers.

Similarly major underground organizations including Revolutionary People’s Front/People’s Liberation Army, United National Liberation Front, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council), strongly condemned the act through their separate statements and denied their involvement in the killings.

Even though Manipur is home to a dozen militant groups with demands ranging from autonomy to sovereignty, the state has been witnessing a series of insurgency related killing and encounters recently not to speak of the bomb attack at state assembly complex on March 8 last, there has never been a report of killing hindi speaking non-locals unlike in neighbouring Assam.

Security in and around the greater Imphal area has been tightened with the deployment of at least 10 to 15 armed security men at strategic locations. Frisking and checking of vehicles were the routine affairs of the day since then.

Amidst this, as a precautionary measure, the Manipur Government has asked the non-locals particularly migrant labourers to stay in their respective places for their own safety. Nearly 2000 of them were given shelter in the various relief camps in the four valley districts under the directive of district SPs while some of them who tried to leave the state were prevented.

Non locals who run road side shops in and around the busy Khwairamband Keithel in the state capital closed down their businesses for the day on March 19 in protest against the killing.

On the same day a special session of the Manipur state legislative assembly strongly condemned the killing. The members of the house also sought for measures to be taken up by the government to provide relief to the victims.

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh responding to the motion, assured that all possible help would be extended to the non-locals and bereaved families in particular. He also promised ex-gratias for the victims.

Manipur Governor Dr. Shivinder Singh Sidhu also condemned the killing stating, “The law enforcing and security agencies should take all possible measures to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are brought to justice.”

Terming it as an “inhuman and cowardly act”, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said his government “condemned it in the strongest term.” “We’ll give a befitting reply within a short period of time. We will not spare them”, Ibobi said in an emotional mood.

He said that they have identified some of the suspects though he declined to disclose the details. Regarding the government’s effort to control the situation, Ibobi said, “as we cannot provide security for every individual, we’ve alerted the concerned district SPs to do the needful.”

Besides this, the Chief Minister has instructed state Chief Secretary and DGP to coordinate their respective colleagues of the other Indian states to assist each other in this hour of sorrow.

The government had acknowledged the report of threatening of non-local businessmen in Imphal to hand over their dealership or agency ship to the local men. The  Ibobi led ministerial team also visited the RIMS hospital and it’s morgue. Political parties and different civil society organizations and rights bodies also reacted strongly against the killing by the unidentified armed men.

Sobhapati Samom