Guwahati: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Saturday demanded the immediate declaration of a ‘Farmer Safety Zone’ in the periphery areas of the Imphal Valley following a recent gun attack that left a farmer critically injured in Bishnupur district.
The incident took place on Thursday afternoon when Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a local farmer, was shot at point-blank range while working in his paddy field in Phubala, a valley region in Bishnupur.
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Eyewitnesses claimed the shots were fired from the nearby hills, which border the Churachandpur district—an area often marked by ethnic tension and previous incidents of violence.
COCOMI, in a strongly-worded statement, condemned the attack and raised serious questions about the efficacy of current security arrangements. “The shooting occurred just 30 metres from the SSB security line after the intruders breached three tiers of security, including the BSF, Army, and SSB,” the statement said.
In response to the attack, a COCOMI delegation met with Bishnupur’s Superintendent of Police and held a strategic dialogue at the Police Headquarters with senior officers including ADGP L Kailun and IGP K Kabib.
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COCOMI is now calling for an official designation of the entire agrarian belt along the foothills and canal zones as a ‘Farmer Safety Zone’—to be enforced as a ‘No Arms Zone’ with strict shoot-at-sight orders for any unauthorized armed intruders, particularly those carrying assault rifles or deadly weapons.
“The security lapse has once again exposed the vulnerability of valley farmers. We demand an uninterrupted right to cultivate, particularly for Meitei farmers up to the foothill areas, without fear or obstruction,” the group stated.
To strengthen security, COCOMI also urged the deployment of two to three additional companies of security forces for continuous mobile patrolling, while retaining all existing static posts to maintain 24/7 surveillance over sensitive agricultural regions.
Following the attack, local residents in Phubala staged a protest, enforcing a shutdown in the area and blocking the movement of security personnel in parts of the district.
The violence comes amid ongoing ethnic unrest in the region. Since May 2023, over 260 people have been killed in clashes between the Meiteis, who primarily inhabit the valley, and the Kukis, who are dominant in the surrounding hill districts.