India: External Risks In Manipur – Analysis

On March 2, 2021, the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) ‘executed’ a Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) militant, Thokchom Nando Singh, at an undisclosed location for “raping and murdering”, Lungnila Elizabeth (8), in 2003. Elizabeth, the daughter of Francis Ngajokpa, the then Minister for Taxation and General Administration, was abducted by Thokchom Nando Singh and his three associates from near her school on November 3, 2003; nine days later, on November 12, her corpse was recovered from a nearby village swamp.

In the past too, UNLF, an Imphal Valley-based group, has ‘executed’ persons accused of rape.

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), two fatalities (including the March 2 ‘execution’) have been recorded in the State since the beginning of 2021 (data till March 7, 2021). The other fatality in the current year is a Kuki militant, killed in a factional clash. On January 23, suspected militants opened fire at Mujibur Workshop, a motorcycle workshop, killing a customer, Thangminlen Guite (45), in Moreh town in Tengnoupal District. Later, United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) claimed responsibility for the attack on Guite, asserting that the victim belonged to the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and had killed UKLF ‘Town Commander’ of Moreh, John Gangte in 2019.

In 2020, four incidents of killing resulted in seven fatalities – one civilian, three Security Force (SF) personnel, and three militants. Seven incidents led to nine fatalities – four civilians and five militants – in 2019; 21 incidents resulted in 23 fatalities – seven civilians, seven SF personnel, and nine terrorists – in 2018; and 37 incidents resulted in 55 fatalities – 23 civilians, nine SF personnel, 22 terrorists, and one not specified – in 2017. Incidents of killing and resultant fatalities in the State have been declining since 2018.

The fatalities registered in 2020 were the lowest in the State since 1992. A previous low of nine fatalities was recorded in 2019. Since the beginning of the troubles in the State, fatalities in a year have only been in single digits in these two years. There was a high of 496 fatalities in 2008.