Fresh violence broke out at Taphou and adjoining areas in Senapati district in the early hours of Monday, leaving several houses burnt or damaged and a CRPF constable injured in subsequent firing.
Sequence of Incidents at Taphou
The first fire was reported at around 2.40 am at Taphou Kuki Village. The Senapati fire brigade reached the spot at around 3 am. Eyewitnesses said a youth riding a motorcycle fled southwards after the blaze broke out.
After 4 am, further incidents were reported around the 9 MR outpost and Marenmai, where two houses belonging to Naga residents were targeted. Preliminary information indicated that one house at Taphou Kuki was burnt, a house belonging to a resident of Laii village, a Poumai Naga settlement, was demolished, and another house belonging to a resident of Taphou Phyamai village, also a Poumai Naga settlement, was burnt down.
The situation escalated at around 9.20 am when indiscriminate firing broke out while journalists were on the ground covering the incidents and recording footage of the burnt and damaged houses. A 54-year-old CRPF constable of the 36th CRPF Battalion sustained a bullet injury while providing security at Liangmai Taphou. He was rushed to the District Hospital, Senapati, where he is undergoing treatment. The injured personnel said he could not ascertain the direction from which the bullet was fired, as firing appeared to have come from both sides.
The situation remained tense in and around Taphou, with security forces deployed across the affected areas. By afternoon, the entire area where the incidents occurred was secured by the CRPF and Senapati Police to prevent further escalation. The situation was brought under control by evening, while small vehicles were seen plying along NH-2.
A Kangpokpi correspondent reported that both arson sites are located in a heavily secured and sensitive zone, raising questions over how the incidents occurred despite the presence of security forces. According to local sources, the confrontation initially involved single- and double-barrel firearms before individuals began firing more sophisticated weapons.
Security measures were intensified in and around Taphou, with the CRPF‘s CoBRA unit conducting house-to-house searches at Taphou Liangmai, Taphou Kuki and nearby areas during the early hours. District police personnel accompanied the CoBRA team. No person was detained, and the operation was carried out without resistance or intervention from local residents, reports Hills Hornbill Express.
Naga People’s Organisation’s Allegations
The Naga People’s Organisation (NPO) questioned the people of Taphou Kuki over the alleged repeated targeting of the people of Senapati. In a press release, the NPO said the Naga people of Senapati are deeply concerned by the repeated violent incidents involving Taphou Kuki village. “What is the clear intention of the Taphou Kuki villagers in provoking and targeting the peace-loving people of Senapati is the question being asked by young and old alike across Senapati,” it stated.
The NPO sought clarification on why the people of Senapati are repeatedly being targeted or blamed for incidents occurring in Kuki villages or localities. It said a residential building belonging to a Poumai Naga was set on fire, and an abandoned building at Taphou Kuki village was also burnt by unidentified persons. The organisation alleged that while the buildings were still burning, the fire brigade was obstructed by Taphou Kuki villagers from carrying out its duty. “If the Taphou Kuki villagers have no involvement in the incident, why did they obstruct the fire brigade personnel from performing their duties?” it asked.
The NPO urged law enforcement agencies to closely monitor the situation, investigate every incident objectively and identify those responsible. Saying that the Naga people of Senapati have exercised maximum restraint, but their patience has now completely worn out, the NPO cautioned that the restraint shown by the Senapati Naga people should not be mistaken for weakness.
Taphou Kuki Village Authority’s Response
The Taphou Kuki Village Authority condemned the burning and destruction of the residential house at its village, describing the incident as “highly deplorable, inhuman and unacceptable” and a grave violation of the basic rights and dignity of innocent civilians. It said the destruction of a home causes not only immense loss of property and livelihood but also fear, insecurity and deep emotional trauma.
The Village Authority appealed to all individuals and groups to immediately refrain from violence, arson and destruction of property, and urged that grievances be resolved through peaceful dialogue and lawful means. It demanded immediate action from the district administration, police and other competent authorities to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and ensure justice in accordance with law.
The authority also issued a 24-hour ultimatum to those involved in the burning to come forward, claim responsibility and resolve the matter according to Kuki customary law, warning that failure to do so could lead to an untoward incident. It simultaneously appealed to all communities to exercise restraint and work towards restoring trust, security and peaceful coexistence.
CoTU and Ihang-Bungpi Working Committee Statement
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, and the Ihang-Bungpi Working Committee condemned the alleged pre-dawn arson attack on Taphou Kuki village, alleging that the attack on Kuki civilians was aimed at undermining the government’s recent peace initiatives and creating fresh instability in the state. The CoTU accused NSCN-IM cadres and members of the Liangmei community of triggering fresh tensions in the hills.
The committee described the incidents as retaliatory responses to the Government of India and the current state government’s recent action against an alleged illegal checkpoint at Namdilong, which, it claimed, had kept the state “under siege” for nearly four months. CoTU alleged that the latest violence was part of a wider “choreographic political game plan” allegedly being pursued by politically vested interests to destabilise the hill districts and topple the present state government.
The committee claimed that the government’s recent measures under Chief Minister Y Khemchand had shown some progress towards restoring law and order, and warned that such alleged retaliatory attacks could further erode the remaining space for civilian life and peace in the region. “If the Government of India and the State are sincere towards their peace mission, decisive action must be taken against forces seeking to destabilise the hill regions,” the committee said.