"Missing" 20-Year-Old Imphal Resident Fuels Tension In Crisis-Hit Manipur

A 20-year-old man from the Meitei community has gone missing in Manipur, raising tension again in the border state that has been trying to recover from the outbreak of ethnic clashes nearly two years ago.

Luwangthem Mukesh, a resident of Imphal West district, was reported missing by his mother in a complaint to the police.

Luwangthem Omila Dev said her son left home in a red Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 on Sunday, but did not return.

During initial investigation, the police found CCTV footage that showed the red car last on the outskirts of Bishnupur district, close to Kuki-dominant villages some 30 km from the state capital Imphal.

"... We have searched his whereabouts through our relatives and near and dear ones but could not find out till date. He also possessed one mobile phone... when he went out," the missing man's mother said in the police complaint.

The Centre earlier this month ordered the security forces to ensure free movement of people across Manipur from March 8. The Kuki tribes in Kangpokpi, however, held violent protests and triggered action by the security forces. A man was killed due to bullet injuries.

Meitei organisations have criticised Kangpokpi's Kuki groups over allegations they want to keep the pot boiling. While the Kuki groups say they want a political solution before allowing free movement, the Meiteis say free movement and talks can happen simultaneously in the state which is under the President's rule.

The valley-dominant Meitei community and over a dozen distinct tribes collectively known as Kuki, who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation. Over 250 have died in the violence and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.