Senapati: Taphou Kuki village located at the fringe between Senapati and Kangpokpi districts came under tension from the early hours of Monday after a residential house was gutted in an alleged arson incident. As per local reports from the ground and statements made by Taphou Kuki villagers, the house was allegedly burnt down at around 2:40 am by suspected cadres of NSCN-IM, ZUF-K along with Naga village volunteers. This is a serious allegation made by villagers and local sources present at the spot. It is strictly unverified at this stage and has NOT been confirmed by State Police, district administration, Assam Rifles, CRPF or any official security agency. Officials contacted on the ground said they are verifying all angles and investigation is underway to identify the actual persons involved. The village falls close to Senapati district gate where security Naka is present, which has raised concerns among locals about safety.
As per the sequence shared by people living around the gate area, the fire was first noticed by police personnel on Naka duty near Senapati gate. Around 2:40 am they observed thick smoke from Taphou Kuki side and immediately alerted fire service and district control room. A fire tender reached at about 3:30 am but the residential structure had already been completely reduced to ashes. Villagers who were awake claimed the house was set on fire deliberately and those behind it fled taking advantage of darkness. The house belonged to a local family and all household belongings were lost. Morning photos showed only charred remains of tin sheets and wooden pillars. The Taphou Kuki Village Authority later said the family has been rendered homeless and is in distress.
Within two hours of the first incident, two more pockets in the same fringe belt reported similar alleged arson. According to local reports from the spot, after 4 am, fire and destruction were reported near 9 MR camp area and Mareimei. Preliminary accounts from villagers in Lai village and Phuba village, both inhabited by Poumai Naga community, indicated that at least one house each in the two villages was demolished and then burnt down. Residents of Lai and Phuba alleged the burning in their villages was retaliatory in nature after the Taphou Kuki incident. Like the first allegation, this retaliation claim is also an allegation made by local residents and has not been independently verified by authorities. No official statement has fixed responsibility for Lai and Phuba fires. District sources said number of structures damaged in all three villages is still being assessed.
Along with allegations of physical arson, a purported video has been widely circulated on social media since morning. The clip is said to have been recorded by some individuals in Senapati town. In the purported video, voices are heard allegedly guiding or directing attackers towards location of Kuki civilians and a voice is heard saying, “It’s in the blue house,” apparently referring to a house with blue coloured roof. The authenticity, exact date, time, location and context of the video have not been officially verified by police. Senior police officers said they have taken note of the video and are examining it. Villagers of Taphou Kuki, while speaking to local reporters, expressed concern over what they described as alleged complicity and bias of state authorities. These are allegations made by villagers and have not been independently verified by officials, and security forces denied any bias, saying they are acting to maintain neutrality and peace.
Amid these developments, situation escalated further at around 9:20 am on Monday when firing was reported in the area. As per eyewitnesses, villagers and some media persons had gathered in the morning to inspect burnt structures at Taphou Kuki and Liangmai Taphou when suddenly gunfire broke out from adjoining hillside. Panic gripped area and people ran for cover. During firing, a 54-year-old constable of 36 Battalion CRPF deployed at Liangmai Taphou sustained suspected firearm injury. He was immediately evacuated and shifted to District Hospital, Senapati. Hospital sources said his condition is stable and under observation. Some locals present quoted injured personnel as saying shots seemed to come from multiple directions, but due to thick vegetation and hilly terrain it was difficult to ascertain exact source. Police said they are investigating firing incident as well.
The Taphou Kuki Village Authority issued a formal press statement on August 24 strongly condemning alleged burning and destruction of residential house in Taphou Kuki. The Authority described act as deplorable, inhuman and unacceptable, stating destruction of homes causes not only loss of property and livelihood but also fear, insecurity and emotional distress, as homes represent safety, dignity, memories and years of hard work. The Authority appealed to all individuals and groups to refrain from violence, arson and destruction of property, and urged that any grievances be addressed through peaceful dialogue and lawful means. It also called upon Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Senapati and other competent authorities to immediately investigate incident, identify those responsible and take appropriate legal action as per law to ensure justice and prevent recurrence.
In same statement, Village Authority further issued 24-hour deadline for those allegedly involved in burning of house in Taphou Kuki to claim responsibility and resolve matter according to Kuki customary law. It warned failure to do so within stipulated time could lead to untoward incident, while stating Village Authority would not be held responsible for any such development arising out of public anger. At same time, Authority appealed to all neighbouring communities, village elders and civil society organisations to maintain peace, exercise restraint and work together towards restoring trust, security and peaceful coexistence in fringe areas. It said peace is in interest of all communities living in Senapati and Kangpokpi and violence will only bring more suffering.
As of Monday evening, district administration and security establishment have taken additional measures to prevent further escalation. Additional forces of State Police, CRPF and other central forces have been stationed in and around Taphou, Liangmai Taphou, Mareimei and Senapati gate area. Officials said flag march and intensive patrolling have been conducted throughout day and night domination is being ensured. Senior officers from both civil and police are camping in area and holding meetings with village authorities of different communities. Administration has appealed to public not to believe in rumours and unverified videos and to maintain calm, assuring fair probe will be conducted into all incidents reported since 2:40 am and action will be taken as per law.
Meanwhile, local residents from all sides expressed anxiety over repeated incidents in fringe villages. People in Taphou Kuki said they are spending sleepless nights fearing more arson, while people in Lai and Phuba also said they are worried about retaliation and counter-retaliation. Civil society groups from Senapati have urged both district administration and community leaders to intervene immediately and organise joint peace meeting at earliest. They said allegations regarding involvement of NSCN-IM, ZUF-K and village volunteers must be properly investigated with evidence and not be left as rumour, because such unverified allegations can further vitiate atmosphere and create enmity between communities who have been living as neighbours for decades. Officials reiterated no official confirmation has been given to any of these names and requested all sides to cooperate with probe.
