Bikers Counseled, Not Assaulted, at Shangkai Village

A case of misreporting has surfaced once again after social media posts and sections of online-based digital and web portal news outlets claimed that a group of Meitei Pangal bikers were brutally assaulted by Kukis near Litan on the Ukhrul–Imphal road. However, the facts on the ground tell a completely different story.

The incident occurred at Shangkai village in Ukhrul District on Wednesday.
According to village sources, a group of bikers travelling toward Imphal stopped briefly at a local shop. Villagers said the riders were making loud noises and talking on their phones, allegedly bragging about stopping at a Kuki village — behaviour that drew the attention of locals.

When villagers asked them to lower their voices and move on, the group reportedly confronted the locals, leading to a heated exchange. Soon, an announcement was made through the village PA system, calling residents and elders to the spot.

As tension rose, two bikers tried to flee, and one accidentally hit a villager responding to the call, triggering a brief scuffle.

The situation was swiftly brought under control by the village authorities. The bikers were escorted to the Litan Police Station, where they were counselled and safely allowed to leave.

“We’re not interested in who you are or where you come from. All we ask is respect and discipline while crossing our village,” said one of the region’s CSO leaders. He added that if not for the timely intervention of community leaders and civil society organisations, the outcome could have been far worse.

The clarification directly contradicts earlier valley-based media reports that had falsely portrayed the incident as a communal attack. Village leaders have appealed to travellers to maintain respect and to media houses to verify facts before publishing stories that could inflame tensions.

The bikers were counselled, not attacked. And once again, the call for responsible journalism echoes across Manipur’s hills and valleys.