The Kuki-Zo community in Manipur on Friday began a two-day shutdown, demanding a separate Union space amid communal violence that has gripped the state for over a year.
This closure, called by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), started at 6.00 am on Friday, stopping all businesses and private institutions, including schools.
The movement of vehicles, except for issued services, was completely prohibited, with volunteers, mainly women from Kuki-Zo, guarding important areas, including the National highway 2 in Kangpokpi District headquarters and Gamgiphai.
Exemptions were granted for medical services, airport operations, religious activities, and the media, as well as valid documents required to pass.
Another leader of the protest emphasized, “The continuous lies calling the Kuki-Zo community as outsiders have reached an intolerable level. We are not immigrants, we are natives of this land”.
The unrest has been fueled by recent claims from the state government that 900 Kuki soldiers have entered Manipur from Myanmar.
A Kuki-Zo woman leader said that both the Director General of Police (DGP) and the State Security Adviser have publicly refuted and clarified the false propaganda about the influx of 900 Kuki soldiers into Manipur – a claim that the Security Adviser had made earlier. he insisted it was 100 percent accurate.
“This is not just about politics, it’s about survival,” said a protest leader, asking, “How long will we tolerate these fake news that supports populism and insults our society?”
The closure underscores the demand of Kuki-Zo women to be completely separated from the current governance structure of Manipur.
Speaking on behalf of the Union Territory and the legislature, they said that the law has fallen under the regime of armed forces and partisan rule.
“Without separate administration, the people of Kuki-Zo have no guarantee of safety, security, or justice. We are being denied our rightful place in the land we have lived in for generations,” he said in tears, echoing the sentiments of the crowd that had gathered.
This protest marks the beginning of a series of protests aimed at peaceful but determined self-government, said the protester, with the organizers stressing that the leadership of Kuki-Zo women highlights the strength and resilience of the community in the face of adversity.