Imphal, June 21: In a stern response to the recent gun attack on a farmer in Bishnupur district, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei body, has intensified its demands for a ‘farmer safety zone’ along with immediate shoot-at-sight orders in the periphery areas of the Imphal Valley. The incident, which left Ningthoujam Biren Singh injured, has reignited concerns over the security apparatus in the region.
COCOMI, in a strongly worded statement on Saturday, expressed outrage over the attack, highlighting that Singh was shot “from point-blank range barely 30 meters away from the SSB security line.” The organisation questioned the efficacy of the existing three-tier security deployment – comprising BSF, Army, and SSB – suggesting a “breach” that raises “serious concerns about the intent, efficiency, and reliability.”
Following the incident, a COCOMI team engaged with the Bishnupur superintendent of police and subsequently held a strategic security dialogue at the police headquarters with senior officers, including ADGP L Kailun and IGP K Kabib.
Standing in solidarity with local farmer groups and the victim’s family, COCOMI unequivocally demanded the official declaration of a ‘farmer safety zone.’ They insisted that the “entire agrarian belt along the foothills and canal zones” be designated as a ‘no arms zone.’ Crucially, they called for “immediate shoot-at-sight orders” against “any unauthorised armed intruder, especially those carrying assault rifles or deadly weapons.”
Furthermore, COCOMI pressed for a guarantee of “uninterrupted cultivation access,” allowing Meitei farmers to cultivate paddy fields up to the foothill areas without fear or obstruction. To bolster security, they also sought the deployment of “two to three additional companies of security forces for regular mobile patrolling” while maintaining all existing static posts for round-the-clock surveillance of sensitive farming zones.
The attack on Thursday afternoon saw armed men allegedly opening fire from the surrounding hills as Singh worked in his fields in Phubala, Bishnupur. Fellow farmers corroborated the claim that shots originated from the nearby hills. Phubala, a vast farmland area on the periphery of the Imphal Valley, is bordered by the hills of Churachandpur district.
In protest against the shooting, locals in Phubala initiated a shutdown, with reports of security force movement being obstructed in certain areas of the district. Manipur has been gripped by ethnic clashes between the valley-dwelling Meiteis and the hill-dominating Kukis since May 2023, leading to over 260 fatalities.
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