IMPHAL, Nov 3 : At least 15 villagers of Laiching Minou Maring village were injured during a clash with Sora Muslim village at Khunutabi Ching under Tengnoupal police station this morning around 8 am over a land dispute.
The incident occured when about 15 villagers from the Laiching Minou Maring village were coming to tend to their plots at what they considered their ancestral land at Khunutabi Ching near Pallel close to National Highway-39 this morning around 7.45 am after hiring a bulldozer, but the villagers were suddenly encircled by the residence of Sora and attacked injuring 15 including the driver of the bulldozer.
Reliable sources said the Muslim villagers of Sora, numbering about 100 came with loud speaker on their vehicles and encircled the Maring villagers who were trying to flaten their plots at Khunutabi Ching, and suddenly attacked them with lathis, spears, and other sharp weapons.
The source further said the outnumbered Maring villagers did not retaliate during the attack as result they suffered more casualties.
The attackers also set fire to the hired bulldozer and warned their victims not to enter to the area in future.
The injured have since been evacuated to seperate hsopitals.
The injured persons were identified as Nongthombam Salung 45 bulldozer driver and two of his associates, Hemanta and Bruce Lee all residence of Wangoi, Y Chungam 28 son of Y Merung, BW Angam 25 son of BW Mopham, DK Moselpha son of late DK Ko-in, DW Momo son of DW Koroupham, DW Jonah son of DW Meran, M Angmang son of late M Moshil, DW Koying son of DW Mapham, N Medah son of late M Angtim, Ph Leichil son of late Ph Angdou, Ph Mothil, son of Ph Korung, L Komang son of L Kodum and R Yaima son of R Thomas all residence of Laiching Minou Maring village.
Among the injured persons, the condition of the bulldozer driver Nongthombam Selung 45 of Wangoi, Y Chungam, 28 son of Y Merung and BW Angam 25 son of BW Mopham is stated to be serious, and was brought to RIMS hospital for the treatment.
Another 12 injured persons were admitted to the district hospital at Kakching.
The victim villagers have expressed strong concerns over the prolonged absence of state forces to intervene in the clash this morning.
They said the situation was finally brought under control after the arrival of a police team from Tengnoupal at about noon.
They said Laiching Munou villager have registered a cased with the OC Tengoupal.
According to Kh Amstrong, president Maring Uparup Assembly, who spoke to IFP, the villagers of Laiching Minou have their ancestral rights to occupy the land at Khunutabi Ching as the land belongs to the villagers of Laiching Minou.
He said the villagers came to prepare plots for building houses near by the National Highway to get the advantages for education for their children, but it was very unfortunate that the innocent villagers were brutally assaulted by the villagers of Sora for no reason and appealed that such unwatnted incident should not recur in future for the sake of maintaining peace and tranquility into the area.
He further claimed that the Muslim attackers from Sora sanatched away two cell phones, one wrist watch, one driving license along with Rs 50,000 in cash from the injured victims.