- Tension erupted in Ukhrul district over Assam Rifles outpost at New Heaven area
- Local groups say outpost was set up without village authority's consent or consultation
- Naga women led protests against the outpost, prompting tear gas use by security forces
Tension flared at New Heaven in Manipur's Ukhrul district on Sunday evening after security personnel fired tear gas shells during a confrontation with Naga women protesting the presence of an Assam Rifles outpost in the area.
The incident comes amid an ongoing dispute over a temporary Assam Rifles post established at New Heaven, which local organisations claim falls under the jurisdiction of Shokvao Village.
According to community representatives, the outpost was set up without prior consultation with or permission from the village authority.
Local sources claimed that repeated appeals by the village authority and community leaders seeking the withdrawal of security personnel from the area had not yielded any response. They maintained that the opposition was not against security measures as such, but against what they described as a disregard for established village authority procedures and local consent.
According to local accounts, women from the area were at the forefront of Sunday's protest and confronted security personnel stationed at the outpost. During the standoff, tear gas shells were reportedly fired to disperse the gathering. No injuries were immediately reported.
Earlier, the Katho Katamnao Long (Katho Students' Union), Katho Long, and the Katho Women Coordination Committee (KWCC) had jointly condemned the deployment of Assam Rifles personnel at the location. In a joint communiqué, the organisations alleged that the establishment of the outpost violated the provisions of the Manipur (Village Authorities in Hill Areas) Act, 1956, and undermined the authority of the village administration.
The three organisations had earlier directed the Assam Rifles personnel stationed at New Heaven to withdraw from the area and warned that any untoward incident arising from their continued presence would be the responsibility of the force.
NDTV could not independently verify the claims made by the organisations.
There was no immediate official statement from the Assam Rifles or the district administration regarding the reported use of tear gas or the allegations surrounding the establishment of the outpost.
