Imphal, Dec 31 (IANS): More than 15 people, mostly women, were injured during a clash with security forces at Uyokching in Manipur’s tribal inhabited Kangpokpi District on Tuesday when they were protesting against violence in the state, officials said.

A police official said that over 15 people, mostly women, were injured, two of them seriously, when the tribal women during a protest against the violence in the state clashed with the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at the tribal dominated Uyokching areas of Kangpokpi District.

A Manipur Police statement said that a large number of womenfolk attempted to disrupt the deployment of the Army, BSF and CRPF at Uyokching, near Thamnapokpi.

“The combined security forces dispersed the crowd with minimum use of force and now the situation is peaceful and under control. The combined security forces were deployed at the hilltop to dominate the area and prevent any untoward incident in the area,” the statement said.

Several tribal organisations, including the Women Wing of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), Kuki Inpi Manipur, Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights, Kuki-Zo Women’s Forum said that more than 30 women were injured in the clash with the security forces.

All these organisations strongly condemned the incident.

The women wing of the ITLF alleged that a brutal attack by the security forces on Tuesday on the protest resulted in serious injuries to more than 30 women, including a severe head injury, and is a gross violation of human rights and an affront to the dignity of the Kuki-Zo community.

The organisation said that Tuesday’s incident is particularly disturbing as it occurs during the Christmas-New Year period, a time when people come together to celebrate peace, love, and joy.

“Instead, the CAPF’s actions have brought fear, trauma, and suffering to the community. Since it wounded the sentiments of the Kuki-Zo community, the Saibul-Twichin incident would be closely monitored by the Kuki-Zo community worldwide. We demand that the CAPF immediately cease their intrusive operations and allow the people to celebrate the New Year in peace,” the ITLF said.

Urging the government to stop attacks on the Kuki-Zo communities, the women wing of the ITLF said that appropriate steps must be taken to prevent such incidents in the future and ensure that those responsible for the violence are held accountable.

“In order to keep the state peaceful, we implore the government to put an end to the Meitei community’s attacks on Kuki-Zo villages. The ITLF Women Wing stands in solidarity with the Kuki-Zo women at Saibul-Twichin area and demands justice for the victims who were assaulted by the CAPF,” the statement said.