Manipur: Kuki youth body questions blame in CRPF attack

Guwahati: The Young Kuki, an apex youth organization representing the Kuki community in Manipur, has challenged reports attributing the CRPF attack in Bishnupur district's Narayansena region to "Kuki militants."

On Saturday, two CRPF personnel were killed in a suspected militant attack in Bishnupur district's Naranseina . The Young Kuki expressed "deep concern and dissatisfaction" with media reports labeling "Kuki militants" as the perpetrators.

"Reports hastily blaming the Kuki community based on unverified police briefings, without concrete evidence, raise serious ethical concerns," stated Lun Kuki, Advocacy Coordinator of Young Kuki, in a response emailed to Northeast Now.

 "Manipur's complex ethnic makeup, where Meiteis, Nagas, and Kukis often share physical similarities, makes such accusations problematic. Identifying the attackers, especially during chaos and low visibility, seems improbable and irresponsible," he said.

Kuki further highlighted, "Significantly, Manipur's security advisor, Kuldiep Singh, refrained from naming a specific group, stating only that 'the active group in the area is responsible.' This cautious approach was disregarded in your reporting, which explicitly named 'Kuki militants' as the culprits."

Earlier, the Kuki Inpi Manipur also voiced concern over accusations targeting Kuki militants. The organization condemned the "swift finger-pointing" towards Kuki village volunteers and denounced attempts to malign the Kukis while overlooking "anti-national activities by others."

The Kuki Inpi condemned the CRPF attack, emphasizing that such acts of violence reflect a disregard for law and order and highlight the "impunity enjoyed by valley-based insurgent groups" under the Manipur government.