Tension in Cachar After Udharbond Man Goes Missing in Manipur’s Leimakhong

Tensions have flared once again in Cachar along with Manipur’s Imphal West district following the disappearance of a 56-year-old Meitei man. Laishram Kamalbabu Singha, a permanent resident of Cachar, who stayed at Loitang Khunou village in Imphal West for work, went missing on Monday evening. He was on his way to the Leimakhong military station, where he worked as a casual labourer. Unfortunately, he never reached the Army station in Kangpokpi.

Kamalbabu Singha, a permanent resident of Udharbond’s Gosaipur area, has been working various jobs in Manipur for the past twenty years. On the evening of November 25, his phone was found switched off for a long time, which made his family anxious. Later, when his wife, Bela Rani Singha, called her local contacts in Imphal West, she discovered that he had not even reported to the Leimakhong military station.

A missing report was filed on November 25 at the Singjamei Police Station in Imphal West (Manipur) by Kamalbabu Singha’s brother. Yesterday evening, Kamalbabu’s wife Bela Rani Singha said she had doubts that he was kidnapped. Speaking to our correspondent, she said, “He was in communication with the other construction workers in the 57 Mountain Division at Leimakhong area up to the 3 PM but since then he has been out of contact and later his phone number was found switched off”.

An FIR was also filed by Bela Rani Singha at Cachar SP Office. After a meeting between a Meitei Body and the Superintendent of Police of Cachar, he extended support to the family and communicated with the SP of Imphal West and the IG of Manipur Police.

This missing has heightened tension in the valley region of Manipur. The Leimakhong military station is located 16 km away from the capital Imphal and surrounded by Kuki-Zo tribal-dominated areas. Many Meiteis have fled from the region as tension escalated over time in Manipur ethnic clashes since last year.

The Army and the Manipur Police launched a combined search operation to locate the missing person. According to Manipur police, a large number of men and women from Loitang Khunou village were on the way to Leimakhong to find his whereabouts but the security forces stopped them near the Kanto Sabal area to prevent any further escalation of the situation. After being stopped, the agitating people blocked the road leading to the headquarters of the Army’s 57th Mountain Division in protest.

This is fresh tension in Manipur after a relative lull of over a week after the Jiribam mob violence on November 17.