ANSAM questions security response as hospital clarifies role in treatment of injured youths
The admission of three injured Kuki youths to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, following a clash in Kangpokpi district triggered protests at the hospital on Monday, leading security forces to deploy tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse demonstrators.
According to reports, the three youths were injured during a gunfight that took place between Langka Naga Village and Leilon Vaiphei Village in Kangpokpi district earlier in the day. They were initially treated at the 183 Military Hospital, Leimakhong, before being referred to RIMS for further medical treatment.
Their arrival at RIMS sparked protests by a large number of demonstrators who gathered at the hospital and raised slogans such as “No Treatment for Terrorists.” Security personnel, including members of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were deployed to control the situation. Additional security was later stationed at the hospital premises.
The incident quickly drew political and public reactions, with the All Naga Students’ Union Manipur (ANSAM) questioning the response of security agencies.
According to reports, ANSAM alleged that while authorities acted swiftly to evacuate the injured youths, it had taken 28 days for security agencies to recover the bodies of six Liangmai Nagas from Leilon village. The organisation said many Nagas were still grieving the incident and questioned what it described as differing responses by security agencies in incidents involving different communities.
Protesters also questioned the decision to transport the injured youths to Imphal for treatment despite the existence of buffer zones in conflict-affected areas.
As tensions mounted, RIMS issued a clarification distancing itself from the transportation of the injured persons and the security arrangements surrounding their treatment.
The institute stated that the three injured persons were brought to RIMS by the 183 Military Hospital, Leimakhong, and that decisions relating to their transportation and security deployment were made by the concerned authorities.
“RIMS wishes to clarify that the Institute has no role in bringing patients to the hospital or in the deployment of security personnel,” the hospital said in a statement.
The institute maintained that its sole responsibility was to provide medical care to all patients requiring treatment.
“It is the professional, ethical, and humanitarian duty of doctors and healthcare workers to attend to and treat patients requiring medical attention, irrespective of their background or circumstances,” the statement said.
RIMS also appealed to the public not to disrupt hospital services, stating that such actions could affect critically ill and emergency patients.
In a later development, reports indicated that authorities were considering shifting the three injured youths from RIMS to another location in an effort to ease tensions.
Meanwhile, competing claims emerged over the circumstances surrounding the original incident in Kangpokpi district.
In a statement, the Vaiphei Peoples’ Council General Headquarters alleged that cadres of NSCN-IM and ZUF (K) had carried out a coordinated armed attack on Leilon and L. Munlui Vaiphei villages. The organisation claimed that sophisticated weapons and bombs were used during the attack, resulting in injuries to three civilians.
The council further alleged that attacks on Vaiphei villages had become a recurring pattern and criticised security forces deployed in the area for what it described as negligence and failure to adequately protect civilians despite repeated warnings.
However, the allegations were strongly rejected by the Working Committee of the Joint Tribe Council Manipur, which issued a separate statement blaming KNF (P) and KNF (Nehlun) for the incident.
The organisation described allegations against NSCN-IM and ZUF (K) as “baseless and misleading” and alleged that Kuki armed groups operating in the area were responsible for violence and instability. It further accused Kuki organisations of attempting to shift blame and demanded an investigation into the incident.
At the time of filing this report, there was no official statement available from the Assam Rifles, Manipur Police, or other security agencies regarding the competing allegations surrounding the clash or the concerns raised by ANSAM.
The circumstances leading to the incident and responsibility for the violence could not be independently verified.
(With inputs from agencies)
