After Farmers Allege Threat, Manipur Congress MP Visits Foothill Village, Meets Soldiers And Residents

Congress MP Dr A Bimol Akoijam visited a foothill village in the interdistrict border between Manipur's Imphal East and Kangpokpi days after the Meitei community and members of the Kuki tribes faced-off over ploughing paddy fields in the area. Both sides claimed the land belonged to them.

After the security forces intervened, the villagers agreed the matter would be settled by the authorities, who assured they would look into land ownership papers (pattas) and records, officials who came to the area on Sunday told reporters.

Dr Akoijam, who represents the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency, met with central force soldiers and officers who are posted in the foothills near Leitanpokpi village. The MP gave suggestions and also took feedback from the central force personnel, an aide of Dr Akoijam said.

"The government said it has made security arrangements to ensure farming happens peacefully. So, it is important that the security forces ensure no violence and attacks on farmers happen. Otherwise, a trust deficit will develop," Dr Akoijam said at a public meeting with villagers and security force personnel.

Referring to reports and visuals on social media that purportedly showed some armed people on a hill near the area where villagers from both communities had gathered to protest, Dr Akoijam asked the officers to take action against such elements, if true.

"The farmers and villagers have placed their trust on you to protect them. The law empowers you to act against lethal threats to civilians. Let us ensure we hear no more of any armed people walking with impunity in the area you are posted," Dr Akoijam said.

On June 15, a farmer from the Meitei community who went to plough a paddy field in Leitanpokpi village was stopped by some members of the Kuki tribes. The farmer told the security forces that he owned the land, and took his tractor to the paddy field when a group of people from the Kuki tribes objected to ploughing it, claiming the land belonged to them.

"The land here belongs to Meitei farmers. Due to the conflict, we have been avoiding going to the paddy fields near the foothills," another villager told the security forces.

"We had chased away some squatters earlier, but our village elders requested to let them be due to the conflict. Now, they have now occupied that land because we have not been going there for a while," the villager said.

The police and the central forces stopped some people from both the communities from throwing stones at each other and using catapults, and took control of the situation. The security forces requested the public not to believe in rumours.

Dr Akoijam, who is also a professor in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, became an MP after defeating BJP candidate and state minister T Basanta Kumar Singh by over one lakh votes in the 2024 general election. Political analysts credited his huge win to people's anger over what they perceived was the government's failure to bring peace in Manipur, where Meitei-Kuki clashes began in May 2023.

Dr Akoijam had in his first speech in parliament in July last year said it was "the hurt, the anger [which] has thrown a nobody like me to be a part of this temple of democracy, beating the BJP cabinet minister. Think about the pain."