Manipur: Thousands march in Kangpokpi over security concerns, action against armed groups

Thousands of members of the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday, July 4 participated in a peaceful protest rally in Manipur's Kangpokpi district under the banner of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), alleging attempts to "Balkanise" the hill areas through repeated attacks on Kuki-Zo habitations and demanding immediate government action against the NSCN-IM and the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF).

The rally commenced from Taloulong Damdei and proceeded to the Gamgiphai Buffer Zone along National Highway-2 before returning to its starting point. Participants carried banners and placards alleging that the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM and ZUF were responsible for attacks on Kuki-Zo villages and asserted that the community would remain united against any attempts to divide it.

Demonstrators raised slogans calling for impartial enforcement of law and stronger security measures in the hill districts. Placards displayed during the rally carried messages such as "Stop Selective Action," "Clamp Down on Transnational Terrorists," "Stop Balkanization of the Hill Country," "Equal Justice for Equal Rights," "Blockade on Humanitarian Supplies is a War Crime," and "Where are the CAPF in Kamjong and Tamenglong?"

Addressing the media on the sidelines of the rally, CoTU spokesperson Ng. Lun Kipgen alleged that the government's policies were favouring one community over another and warned that such an approach would undermine constitutional values and national unity.

He alleged that the prevailing security situation in the hill districts formed part of a larger attempt to weaken the state government led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh. Kipgen further claimed that armed Tangkhul militant groups were operating with impunity and attempting to destabilise the region while the authorities remained inactive.

Referring to the recent attacks on Kuki-Zo villages at Phaimol in Kamjong district on July 1 and Leikot in Tamenglong district on July 2, the CoTU spokesperson alleged that the incidents were intended to provoke retaliatory violence and trigger a wider Kuki-Naga conflict.

He stated that the Kuki-Zo community would not be drawn into such attempts and urged authorities to prevent any further escalation of violence.

Kipgen also called upon the state government to take lessons from the June 18, 2001 uprising, stating that historical events should serve as a reminder against policies that could deepen ethnic divisions. He urged the Chief Minister to take decisive action against armed militants allegedly operating under the NSCN-IM.

Seeking intervention from both the State and Central governments, CoTU demanded a review of the operational freedom allegedly enjoyed by the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM, contending that the group's activities were inconsistent with the spirit of its ceasefire agreement with the Government of India.

The CoTU spokesperson further stated that while the Kuki-Zo community respected the political aspirations of all communities, it would not allow itself to become a benchmark for any political agenda.

The rally concluded peacefully amid heightened security arrangements, with participants reiterating their demands for equal protection under the law, impartial enforcement by security agencies, deployment of Central Armed Police Forces in vulnerable hill districts, and decisive action against armed groups accused of targeting Kuki-Zo villages.

There was no immediate response from the state government or the organisations named in the allegations at the time of filing this report.