GUWAHATI: At least three persons were killed and 30 others were injured in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Wednesday when two Naga villages clashed with each other over a dispute surrounding their boundaries.According to locals, a jawan of Manipur Rifles was among the dead. The injured were from both villages — Hunphun and Hungpung. A few were rushed to the state capital Imphal for advanced treatment.A video circulating on social media showed a few youngsters firing shots.The situation remained tense when reports last came in. The state government temporarily suspended internet services in the entire district.The two villages have been caught in the conflict for a while. Two days ago, four houses were damaged in an attack in one of the villages, further flaring up the tension.Sensing trouble, the district authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS on Wednesday morning, restricting the movement of people outside their residences.Ukhrul is a Tangkhul (tribe) Naga-majority district. Three Naga legislators — minister Khashim Vashum, and MLAs Ram Muivah and Leishiyo Keishing — made a fervent appeal to the people to maintain peace.“Dear beloved citizens of Hungpung and Hunphun, with a heart, weighed down by sorrow, we stand before you today as one of your own, pleading for peace. We reach out to you today amidst this unfortunate incident that has cast a dark shadow over our cherished land,” the legislators said in a joint statement.“Our villages, bound together by blood, history and love, must not be torn apart by the fires of violence and anger. We are not just neighbours; we are a family. Our ancestors walked these same paths and shared their dreams, their hardships, and their joy. Let us not allow this moment to shatter what generations have built. No victory can be found in the pain of our brothers and sisters. Let us pause, reflect, and remember that our strength lies in unity, not division. Every heart that bleeds today is a wound on our shared soul,” the statement further stated.Tangkhul Shanao Long sought the intervention of all women, especially those from Hunphun and Hungpung villages, for peace. The Tangkhul Baptist Churches Association also appealed for peace.
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