Manipur: Activist cyclist crosses Kangpokpi under security despite threats

Social activist and cyclist Malem Thongam safely crossed the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on the morning of December 18 under tight security, defying earlier threats issued by a Kuki organisation warning against her passage.

The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) had, on December 17, warned authorities to immediately stop Thongam’s proposed cycling route through Kangpokpi district. Despite the warning, security agencies arranged a convoy of the Border Security Force (BSF), enabling her to pass through the sensitive stretch without incident.

Thongam travelled fromthe  Senapati district and reached Sekmai in Imphal West early Thursday morning under central force protection. She is scheduled to halt at Sekmai for the night and will proceed to Imphal on Friday.

The activist, who is transgender, is undertaking a long-distance cycling expedition aimed at promoting peace in Manipur. She began the journey on October 2 from Qutub Minar in Delhi under the theme “Cycling for Manipur peace”, with the stated goal of spreading a message of harmony and normalcy in the violence-hit state.

Before entering Manipur, Thongam successfully crossed Nagaland and arrived in the Naga-dominated Senapati district earlier this week. Her safe passage through Kangpokpi comes amid heightened tensions and ongoing security concerns in the region.