In an egregious incident two Meitei students have been kidnapped & killed, highlighting the fragile law & order in the state of Manipur
Two students, 17-year-old Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit were, on July 6, went missing.
The images of these students went viral on social media.
One of the pictures showed them in being held captive in a camp with armed men standing in the background.
The parents of these students had filed a police complaint in the local police station.
They were hopeful of their respective childrens’ safe return.
But this tragic news has, once again, shocked the conscience of the nation and comes as a painful reminder about the fragile law & order situation from Manipur.
What Happened?
The two were residents of Tera Tongbram Leikai in Imphal and had gone missing on July 6.
Almost three months after they went missing, the Manipur government declared their deaths on Tuesday.
What is the Status of Investigation?
After the photos surfaced, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat issued a statement.
The statement said that the case had already been handed over to the CBI.
“State police, in collaboration with the central security agencies, are actively investigating the case to determine the circumstances surrounding their disappearance and to identify the perpetrators who murdered the two students. The security forces have also started the search operation to nab the perpetrators,” it said.
Kuki Involvement
This kidnapping and killing have been carried out by Kuki militants.
Meiteis, who are Hindu by origin have been at the receiving end of the ethnic violence in Manipur.
Scores of innocent Meiteis have been killed in dastardly attacks by Kuki militants, who are predominantly Christian.
They have been killed simply because of their religious identity.
The process of “otherization” of the Meitei community has shown that Hindus are being persecuted in their own land because of their religious identity.
It is, therefore, imperative that Sanatani people across Bharat lend moral and financial support for our Meitei brethren and stand in solidarity with them.