The Kuki-Zo massive rally in Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District today echoed the need for the Armed Forces Special Power Act, or the AFSPA, in the valley districts as much as SoO is needed in the hills.
The public rally under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity, or the CoTU, Sadar Hills Kangpokpi was organized to demonstrate the Kuki-Zo's vehement resentment against the alleged "Communalised and one-sided" Manipur State Assembly resolution to abrogate the SoO Agreement with the Kuki groups and demand the re-imposition of AFSPA in the 19 Police Stations of the valley.
The massive rally kicked off at Nute Kailhang in Kangpokpi District headquarters and marched till the uptown Kangpokpi bridge near SP Kangpokpi office via the National Highway-2.
The thousand Kuki-Zo rallyists chanted slogans such as, "Democracy not Autocracy", "Manipur State Assembly resolution Meitei Resolution", "Manipur State Assembly not for Kuki-Zo", "Imphal Government Communal Government", "Re-impose AFSPA in the valley".
The public rally culminates peacefully with Kangpokpi police effectively monitoring the movement of the rally to avoid any untoward and violent incidents.
Meanwhile, the CoTU's 24-hour total shutdown against the state assembly's resolution and demanding the re-imposition of AFSPA in the valley begin at 10:00 a.m. in the entire Sadar Hills Kangpokpi district while it will culminate on March 5 morning at 10:00 a.m.
All shops and other business establishments, educational institutions, offices and other private institutions in the district remain closed while vehicular movement along the highway has also been restricted except for those exempted from the purview of the total shutdown.
CoTU's Spokesperson, Kaiminlen Sitlhou while addressing the media said that the total shutdown has been imposed and the public rally organized to show our strong resentment against the communalised one-sided resolution of the Manipur State Assembly to abrogate the SoO agreement with Kuki-Zo UGs in the absence of our 10 MLAs in the people's house.
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He also alleged that time and again, the current regime has knowingly misused the state institutions including the house of the people, which is the last straw to misguide the general public in the valley.
He said that the Manipur Legislative Assembly should have focused on the present law and order situation in Imphal rather than focusing on the SoO.
"AFSPA is needed in the valley districts as much as SoO is needed in the hills", he asserted.
He also said that SoO with Kuki groups heralded peace and tranquillity and whoever opposes the SoO is not a peace-loving community.
Therefore, the Committee urged the public in the valley not to be fooled by N. Biren Singh who is trying to escape from the present situation in the valley area by talking about Kuki-Zo undergrounds instead of uncontrollable armed miscreants who are running the government in Imphal, he added.
He also reiterated the demand for the re-imposition of AFSPA in the valley and urged the centre not to hesitate in re-imposition of the Act as it will not only serve in controlling the escalating terror activities in the valley but also serve as a pathway in restoring the constitutional breakdown in the Imphal valley.