Kuki group in Ukhrul drops responsibility for NH-202 safety amid blockade hardship

The Kuki CSO Working Committee (WCKCSOs) in Manipur's Ukhrul has withdrawn its assurance of free movement along National Highway-202, effective immediately, due to a prolonged blockade at Wunghon.

The committee's statement on April 11 highlights "grave humanitarian concerns" from what it calls a "selective economic restriction" by Tangkhul women. This has blocked food and essentials from reaching Kuki areas, leading to significant hardship in Manipur's tense hill districts.

WCKCSOs insists its stance stems from "fairness, justice and humanitarian principles." It dismisses claims of Kuki-led restrictions on NH-202 as "unfounded" and a "misrepresentation of ground realities."

With grievances at a "critical point" and no response to its 7 April ultimatum, the group states it is "no longer in a position to assume any moral responsibility" for the highway. "From April 12, no Kuki CSOs, volunteers, or members of the Kuki public should be held accountable for any untoward incidents that may occur along NH-202," the statement warns, targeting the Litan–Sareikhong to Mongneljang stretch.

The committee deems this step "unavoidable" after ignored appeals and holds the government "solely responsible for any escalation from this point onward."

In a linked release, WCKCSOs notes the late security response to recent gunfire as "better late than never," but raises alarms over "supersonic ammunition" used by alleged Tangkhul militants. It argues this produces "deceptive acoustic effects" that risk misidentification.

The panel points to fresh violence: two civilians killed in Thawai Kuki, three injured in Mongkot Chepu, and a BSF constable dead. These incidents demand "accurate verification of the origin of gunfire before action is taken."

"Let reason prevail. Let truth guide action. Let sanity overcome hate and propaganda," it urges, calling for restraint.

The announcements arrive as ethnic tensions simmer in Manipur's hills, risking broader unrest.