Imphal: As the investigation into the IED blast that destroyed the PMGSY Bailey Bridge over the Namban Lok River in Manipur’s Kamjong district on July 21 continues, civil society organisations (CSOs) representing the Naga and Kuki communities have exchanged allegations over the incident.
The dispute intensified after Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the government had received two conflicting, unverified reports about the explosion.
According to the Home Minister, one unverified report suggests that armed miscreants crossed the international border to carry out the attack, while the other claims local militants blew up the bridge to restrict the movement of security forces, particularly the Assam Rifles.
Authorities said a detailed investigation is underway to identify those responsible and determine the motive behind the blast, which destroyed the bridge linking Chatric to the district headquarters.
The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) Working Committee rejected allegations by the Kuki CSO Working Committee linking the Chatric Village Authority and the NSCN-IM to the bridge demolition.
The organisation described the allegations as “false” and argued that the bridge was a vital lifeline for border Naga communities, which had waited years for the connectivity. It also said accusations that Nagas destroyed their own infrastructure “defy reason” and criticised those making the allegations.
Meanwhile, the South-East Tangkhul Co-ordination Committee (SETCOCOM) condemned the bombing, describing it as “a cowardly assault on civilian welfare.”
The organisation said the bridge was important for education, healthcare and trade in the Sahamphung block.
It urged the authorities to expedite the investigation, bring those responsible to justice and begin reconstruction of the bridge “on a war footing” to end the area’s isolation.