Imphal: Khongbal Naga Reserved Forest witnessed fatal violence on Monday after a dispute over firewood collection turned into indiscriminate firing, allegedly by NSCN-IM cadres. Three Meitei persons died and more than ten others were injured in the incident.
Initial reports indicate that a group of Meitei villagers entered the reserved forest to collect firewood and were confronted by local Naga residents over access rights. The argument escalated, after which armed NSCN-IM members present in the area allegedly opened fire.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, while angry locals brought two bodies from Nongsuhum to the gate of the Chief Minister’s bungalow on Monday, demanding justice. The area where the incident occurred is widely known to be under NSCN-IM influence.
Separately, sources allege that tree felling had been going on in the forest for weeks without NSCN-IM’s knowledge, which may have angered the group. The identity of those cutting the trees and the exact trigger for the firing remain unverified.
What has raised serious concern is the attempt to link the incident to the Kuki community. All ground reports point to a dispute limited to Meitei and Naga individuals. No official report has placed any Kuki person at the site.
Khongbal Naga Reserved Forest has no Kuki habitation in its immediate surroundings. There is no reason or interest for Kuki villagers to intervene in a Naga area matter or a firewood dispute between other communities.
This pattern of dragging the Kuki community into unrelated local disputes without evidence creates a false narrative. Such misattribution diverts attention from the actual perpetrators and the illegal activities in reserved forest areas.
Police and forest officials are yet to issue a detailed statement on the firing, the deaths, or the alleged illegal logging. The lack of an official account on Monday has allowed rumours and scapegoating to spread.
The families of the three deceased and the injured are seeking an independent probe into who ordered the firing, who was illegally felling trees, and why an attempt is being made to blame a community that has no connection to the incident.
