The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), a prominent Kuki-Zo organisation, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Centre and the Manipur government to remove all alleged blockades and unauthorised checkpoints set up by Naga groups along national and state highways passing through Kangpokpi district.
In a statement issued after a joint meeting with civil society organisations (CSOs) in the district, CoTU said the decision was taken unanimously and the ultimatum would come into effect from Sunday midnight.
The organisation said the prolonged disruption of road transport had caused severe hardship to residents of the Kuki-Zo-majority district, where essential commodities have become scarce and prices have risen sharply over the past month.
According to CoTU, the blockades on National Highways 2 and 37 have disrupted the movement of goods and people, affecting the supply of food, medicines and medical equipment.
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Describing road transport as the "lifeline of the people and backbone of economic activities", the organisation alleged that unauthorised checkpoints and gates manned by Naga groups had severely restricted free movement.
CoTU and the participating CSOs demanded that the Manipur government, in coordination with the Centre and security agencies, immediately remove all unauthorised checkpoints and restore unrestricted public access along the highways within the stipulated period.
The organisation warned that if no action is taken within 48 hours, the Kuki-Zo community would be compelled to undertake "appropriate and pre-emptive democratic measures" to safeguard the interests, rights and security of the general public. However, it did not specify the nature of the proposed measures.
The ultimatum comes amid renewed tensions in Manipur's hill districts. While the state has remained affected by ethnic violence between the Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and the adjoining hill-based Kuki community since May 2023, recent months have also witnessed friction between Kuki and Naga groups in parts of the hills.
Since February this year, several incidents of violence, including killings and abductions, have been reported during the latest phase of tensions between the two hill communities.
The Centre and the state government have not yet responded to CoTU's latest demand.
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