Jessica Lalaneiphiek’s voice trembles with emotion as she speaks about her cousin David Thiek, whose severed head was found hours after he was allegedly attacked by Meitei militants in Churachandpur, a district in north-eastern India’s Manipur state, which has suffered two months of ethnic violence.
Mr Thiek, 31, was patrolling his village with other men in the early hours of July 2 when Meitei militants allegedly opened fire at them and in the ensuing gunfight, he was captured and allegedly tortured and decapitated.
“We are angry. He was my cousin, he lived with us for ever and he was killed,” Ms Lalaneiphiek told The National.
“He was patrolling the village, keeping the village safe, but he was caught.”
Mr Thiek is one of the estimated 140 victims of ethnic violence in the tiny north-eastern state that is divided between hills and valleys and is home to 34 tribal communities.
Mounting Anger
Manipur borders Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Since May 3, the state has plunged into violence as the majority Meitei Hindus and Christian Kuki tribal groups clash over a government policy that would grant greater benefits to Meiteis.
About 40 per cent of the state's population have traditionally inhabited the hilly areas that make up 90 per cent of the state’s land.
Meiteis account for more than half of the population and dominate the valley areas, but have been demanding to be included in the tribal list that would allow them to buy land in the hills dominated by tribes including the Kuki people.
The violence increased almost two months ago after a mob set fire to a gym in Churachandpur in protest against the state government's proposal to put Meiteis on the tribal list.
It was preceded by street clashes after violence at a Kuki rally.
Eventually, clashes between the communities broke out in other parts of Manipur, leading to large scale arson, sexual violence, and killings.
Media in India reported that Meena Hangsing, 45, a Meitei Christian who was married to a Kuki, and her seven-year-old son, Tonsing, were burnt to death in mob violence on the outskirts of Imphal on Sunday.
As the burning of properties continued, women, children and elders were forced to flee to army camps, while young men from both communities volunteered to keep vigil in their villages, including guarding the localities with “licensed arms”.
Mr Thiek was one of the volunteers.
“Most of the men were patrolling the village at night when we heard the sound of bullets. We woke up and shifted to a safer place, a big hall, but men were out there patrolling. It was around 3.30am (and) when the gunfight stopped after an hour, his mutilated, charred body was found. Meitei militant group Arambai Tenggol caught him,” Ms Lalaneiphiek said.
“Not only did he die. They cut his limbs, decapitated him and burnt his body parts. We are angry and in a lot of pain. There has been no stopping of these clashes.”
Growing distrust
While there was always an undercurrent of ethnic tension in the state, the unprecedented scale of violence, brutality, torching of properties, sexual assaults and killings has destroyed what remained of trust between the two communities.
In Churachandpur, the distrust and resentment is palpable.
The roads leading to the hilly district are fortified with back-to-back army checkpoints. No Meitei person is “officially” allowed to enter the district and similarly Kukis are not allowed to leave the area.
Next to the army checkpoints, Kuki women thoroughly check every approaching vehicle to ensure that no Meitei enters their stronghold. Gunmen replace the women at night.
“We are checking every vehicle to ensure that no Meitei sneaks into our land. The way they drove us from our homes, we won’t allow them to step into our pious land,” a woman volunteer said.
Agnes Neikhohat Haokip, 23, is another victim of the clashes.
She was allegedly attacked by a Meitei mob a day after violence broke out in Churachandpur.
Ms Haokip was a nursing student at Nightingale Nursing Institute in the state capital Imphal, a Meitei dominated area, when, a day after the first clashes, she alleged that a mob went door-to-door seeking Kuki students in the hostel.
Eight tribal women managed to escape. Ms Haokip alleged that the mob, men and women, got hold of her and a junior student, both from a Christian tribe, and beat them “black and blue”.
“The mob identified us by our name. They asked us to come out of the room and took us out of the campus. They then started hitting, beating us. My junior was unconscious. Two men hit me in the head and I lost consciousness. I felt dizzy. They left us thinking we were dead,” Ms Hoakip told The National.
She was taken to hospital for two days of treatment in the intensive care unit before being moved by police to a relief camp set up by the Indian Army. Her parents managed to take her back to Churachandpur after two weeks, but she could not return as her home was destroyed.
“My village was burned down. I was hospitalised at the time. My family had to flee the village,” she said.
Nearly three months later, while her injuries have healed, Ms Haokip said that she has lost faith in the “other community” and never wants to return to Imphal.
“I don’t think I will go back to Imphal. I was shocked by the attack. I am scared but I don’t want to be with those people” she said.
Anguish over sexual assault
The growing divide has been exacerbated after a video of two tribal women being stripped and paraded in public was shown on social media, sparking outrage.
Ngaineikim, the President of the Kuki Women’s Organisation for Human Rights, which is based in Churachandpur, condemned the assault.
“There is no question of going back, it is next to impossible. How can we trust them again after they have raped our women, assaulted our women and brutally killed us?” Ngaineikim, who goes by one name, said.
“We have no heart to forgive them. Women are assaulted, beaten, raped and killed. Not just that viral video, there are many cases of assault which are still hidden under the carpet.”
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
Wonka
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Results
2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly
3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Ferrari
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INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
