IMPHAL, Sept 1: Civil society groups of Manipur on Monday expressed shock over the purported killing of a Thadou leader in Assam.
In a statement, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) said it has been shaken to its core by the horror and extremity of the murder of Nehkam Jomhao.
The killing is aimed at silencing those who dare to dream of a peaceful and undivided state, the COCOMI said.
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Jomhao, who lived in a rented accommodation in Kuki Basti in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, was purportedly killed with sharp weapons on Saturday night and his body thrown into the nearby Jamuna river. His body is yet to be found.
He was a part of the delegation of Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) that held talks with various Meitei civil society organisations (CSOs) and student bodies in the first week of August, a crucial step towards fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among communities.
In a statement, the TIM condemned the killing and blamed “Kuki militants” for the murder.
TIM said it has submitted a 35-page memorandum to the Centre and the governments of Manipur and Assam, demanding the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with “Kuki militant groups”.
The Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) said it views the “heinous act of violence not only as an attack on an individual but as a direct assault on Manipur’s cultural integrity, communal harmony, and collective identity”.
While researchers claim that Thadou is the largest sub-tribe of the Kuki community, TIM asserts that they are distinct. (PTI)
