Simon, 14, an armed Kuki boy, poses for a photo after completing his frontline duty at Dampi village in Churachandpur district in the northeastern state of Manipur. The youth of the Kuki–Zo tribes in Manipur have taken up arms to protect their villages from external threats, especially from their rivals, the Meiteis, who live in the valley. These young volunteers, who are taking responsibility for self-defense, range from 13 ages to their mid-thirties and have chosen to sacrifice their education, farming activities, and peaceful nights to protect their village borders with guns and weapons.

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Size: 1480px × 2200px
Photo credit: © SOPA Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -defense, armed, boy, churachandpur, conflict, conflicts, dampi, district, duty, ethnic, frontline, gun, indias, kuki, kuki–zo, manipur, northeastern, photo, pose, posing, rifle, simon, state, tribes, village, violence, weapon, youth