Manipur: Leaked video of Meitei house demolition in Churachandpur goes viral; owner expresses grief, anger

In a leaked video that has gone viral, a Meitei house in Manipur's Churachandpur district was seen destroyed by alleged armed miscreants using explosives. The owner of the house, Naorem Ibomcha Meitei, aged 43, has expressed grief and anger following the circulation of a video depicting the demolition on social media.

Naorem Ibomcha Meitei, the owner of the demolished house, conveyed his distress through a statement. "It breaks my heart to see my home being blown into pieces. It is not just my home but a memory of my childhood and our forefathers," he shared. He further lamented the extent of the ethnic violence, stating, "I have heard about ethnic cleansing but never thought in my wildest dream that me and my fellow Meiteis from Churachandpur will be wiped out in this manner."

Naorem Ibomcha criticized the apparent inaction of security forces in preventing the systematic demolition of homes in Churachandpur, contrasting it with the protection afforded to Kuki houses in Imphal and other districts. "What was most heart breaking was the security forces didn't do anything to prevent this systematic demolition. If the security forces can protect the houses of Kukis in Imphal and other districts, why can’t they protect hundreds of Meiteis homes in Churachandpur?" he questioned.

Pointing to local political and security leadership, Ibomcha mentioned that the Churachandpur MLA, L M Khuate, a former Director General of Police (DGP), along with DGP P Doungel in May 2023, could have intervened to prevent the destruction of Meitei properties. "I am confident that had they wanted, they could have prevented the demolition of my house and all other Meitei properties in Churachandpur," he asserted.

Ibomcha has called on authorities to hold those responsible for the demolition accountable. He suspects the involvement of alleged Kuki militants, given the use of explosives in the demolition, and has reiterated long-standing demands to end the ceasefire with Kuki terrorist groups.

Reflecting on his personal history, Ibomcha described his life in Churachandpur, where he operated a licensed gun shop that was allegedly vandalized and looted by alleged Kuki assailants during the violence on May 3, 2023.

He highlighted the irony and tragedy of being labeled part of a so-called majority community while living as a minority in a Kuki-dominated area. "All the Chin-Kuki and their ethnically linked tribes combined in the region outnumber every other community such as Meiteis, Nagas, Tamils, Nepalis, Muslims, etc. Being mislabeled as a member of the so-called majority community, but in reality living as a minority in a Kuki-dominated area has been the tragic irony and nightmare for us," he concluded.

The gun shop owner was detained by the Assam Rifles in June 2019 while transporting advanced rifle scopes from the border trading town Moreh to Imphal.


Disclaimer: India Today NE could not verify the authenticity of the video