House of Manipur's first IAS officer set ablaze
The deserted residence of Manipur's first Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, the late T Kipgen, was set on fire by miscreants on Saturday afternoon. The house is situated in a high-security zone opposite Chief Minister N Biren Singh's official residence in Imphal. Despite firefighting efforts, a significant part of the house was destroyed. Kipgen's family had abandoned the house over a year ago, after the crisis in Manipur started between the tribals and the majority Meiteis.
Why does this story matter?
Manipur has been embroiled in ethnic violence since May 2023 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organized in the hill districts to protest the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The Meiteis—who make up 53% of the population—are largely limited to the Imphal Valley. In comparison, tribal-dominated hill areas reportedly cover 90% of Manipur. This has driven Meiteis to demand ST status to have access to tribals' lands, something the latter adamantly oppose.
Firefighting efforts and house details
According to the Hindustan Times, firefighters from Manipur Fire Service and a reinforcement team from Thoubal district spent over an hour extinguishing the fire. No one was injured in the incident; however, the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. NDTV reported that the building is close to the office of the Kuki Inpi, a Kuki tribal civil society group.
Trucks torched in separate incident
In a separate incident on the same day, an angry mob set two trucks belonging to Bharatiya Infra Project Limited on fire at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district. The trucks were transporting construction materials toward Singhat in Churachandpur when the incident occurred around 3:30pm. Moirang police station officers rescued the remaining trucks and escorted them to Imphal, while Central forces, including the Rapid Action Force, were deployed to control the situation.
