A former armyman belonging to the Kuki-Zo community was beaten to death in Imphal West district on Sunday night after he accidentally strayed into a Meitei-majority area.

The development comes at a time students are staging widespread protests over the volatile situation in Manipur and the Centre’s inability to restore peace.

A Kangpokpi resident said Limkholoi Mate’s body was found at Sekmai in Imphal West on Monday morning.

Mate, a former Assam Regimen havildar and a resident of Motbung Saron Veng in Kangpokpi district, had reportedly gone to Leimakhong to “drop a friend”. He was fatally assaulted when he accidentally crossed the buffer zone between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei areas on his way back.

A source said Mate’s son had registered a zero FIR with the Gamnom Saparmeina police station in Kangpokpi on Monday morning about the “abduction and murder” of her father. The FIR has been forwarded to the Imphal West police for further action.

Mate’s death reflects the conflict-induced demographic separation of the Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis in the state. The Kuki-Zos mostly living in the hills and the Meiteis inhabiting the valley cannot venture into each other’s territory because of safety issues.

Protests intensify

Thousands of students protested in front of the Manipur secretariat and the Raj Bhavan on Monday, demanding action against those behind the recent drone and missile attacks and calling for the protection of the state’s “territorial and administrative integrity”.

The protesters demanded the resignation of director-general of police (DGP) Rajiv Singh and state security adviser Kuldiep Singh for their alleged failure to control the violence. They also called for the Unified Command, currently chaired by Kuldiep Singh, to be handed over to the state government.

They have sought the resignation of 50 of the 60 MLAs hailing from the valley if they can’t protect their people.

The police had to use force to disperse the protesters. Subsequently, chief minister Biren Singh met a delegation of students and promised to look into their concerns.

A significant development during the protest was the attempt to storm the Thoubal district deputy commissioner’s (DC) office.

Security personnel search a house on Sunday following the fresh bout of violence in Manipur. (PTI picture)

Two college students were seen getting on top of the building’s entrance and hoisting the seven-colour Meitei flag (Salai Taret). An official said the students later met the DC and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister.

“They were unhappy with the ongoing situation. They went back happy after the DC met them. There was some stone-pelting but the student leaders controlled them,” the official said.

Protests were also staged in Kangpokpi against the proposed removal of two Assam Rifles battalions from the district and the deterioration in the security situation.

There were torch-light protests in Imphal on Sunday night, prompting the police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd. The protest was held hours after the chief minister and MLAs and ministers of the ruling coalition, barring the 10 Kuki-Zo legislators, met governor L.P. Acharya to discuss the law-and-order situation and steps needed to restore peace.

It was Biren Singh’s second meeting in two days with Acharya. By evening, the state government declared the closure of all schools and colleges for two days till Tuesday over the prevailing situation.