Tension briefly flared in Hengbung Kuki village in Kangpokpi district around 8:40 PM on Monday, even as widely circulated claims of a “counter blockade” against the United Naga Council (UNC) total shutdown were strongly denied by local residents.
Eyewitnesses and village authorities asserted that the situation was triggered not by any organised protest or blockade, but by an isolated altercation involving an intoxicated individual accompanying a police team.
According to villagers, the man, reportedly in an inebriated state, shouted at a group of locals standing by the roadside while passing through the village. He allegedly demanded to know why shops had not been shut since morning in adherence to the shutdown call, using an aggressive tone that provoked local youth.
The verbal confrontation soon escalated into a scuffle after the youth intervened and restrained the individual, residents said.
Village elders promptly stepped in to defuse the situation and later handed over the man to the accompanying police personnel, restoring calm in the area.
Villagers further claimed that upon inspection of the individual’s vehicle, intoxicants such as beer along with a knife and other potentially dangerous items were found inside.
Strongly refuting the narrative of a counter blockade, local authorities termed the circulating reports as “false, misleading and dangerous,” especially given the already sensitive situation in the region.
They cautioned that the spread of unverified information at such a critical juncture could exacerbate tensions and lead to unintended consequences.
Calling for restraint, village leaders urged media organisations and news portals to exercise responsibility and refrain from publishing or amplifying unverified claims.
“No counter blockade was organised from our side. What happened was an isolated incident which has been blown out of proportion,” a village representative said.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
