Kangpokpi Erupts in Protest Demanding Release of Kuki-Zo Leaders; Calls for Govt Action Over Alleged 'High-Handed' CoBRA Midnight Raid

Hundreds of Kuki-Zo people on Tuesday staged a massive protest rally across Kangpokpi district, demanding the immediate release of three community leaders arrested in connection with the July 11 Leimakhong incident and condemning what the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) described as "biased" action by security forces against Kuki-Zo civil society leaders.

The protest rally, under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), commenced from Nute Kailhang in downtown Kangpokpi and proceeded to Brig. M. Thomas Ground in the heart of the town along National Highway-2. Protesters marched while raising slogans such as "Release Our Leaders," "We Decounce Selective Justice," "Stop Harassing Our Leaders," "Economic Blockade-A War Cry," and "Crack Down on Naga Terrorists," besides carrying several strongly worded placards.

The protest was also accompanied by the submission of a memorandum to Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, in which CoTU sought the unconditional release of the detained leaders and an end to what it termed "undue harassment" of Kuki-Zo leadership.

Addressing the media, CoTU spokesperson Ng Lun asserted that the people of Kangpokpi had remained "patient and restrained" despite what he described as the authorities' slow response to addressing a prolonged humanitarian crisis caused by the alleged blockade of essential commodities into the district.

He said the public agitation witnessed at Gamgiphai on June 30 and Leimakhong on July 11 was the culmination of months of public frustration over shortages of food, medicines, and other essential supplies.

"The public uproar was inevitable. No amount of threats or intimidation can suppress the voice of the people," he said.

The spokesperson alleged that while the state machinery acted swiftly following the July 11 Kanto Sabal incident, the prolonged humanitarian crisis affecting Kangpokpi had received little official attention.

He further accused the government of pursuing an "appeasement policy" that favoured one community over another, warning that such an approach would neither restore peace nor provide a lasting political solution.

Ng Lun said that while CoTU acknowledged the necessity of security operations, the CRPF's CoBRA unit and other security personnel must strictly operate within the framework of the law and refrain from intimidating civilians.

Vehemently condemning the midnight raid conducted by the CRPF's CoBRA unit at the residence of Bongphajol village chief Douminlal Haokip on July 12, Ng Lun alleged that the operation was carried out in the absence of local police and without the mandatory legal procedures being followed.

He asserted that the exclusion of local police personnel from such a search operation raises serious questions about transparency, accountability, and adherence to established legal norms, maintaining that conducting a residential raid without a search warrant, search memo, or the presence of local law enforcement authorities constitutes a grave violation of due process and undermines the rule of law. He urged the government to investigate the incident and ensure that all future security operations strictly conform to the provisions of the law.

"We urge the government to immediately release our detained leaders without any precondition and instead focus on reopening the routes affected by the communal blockade, which has strangled the livelihood of the people," Ng Lun said.

He also cautioned that no harm should come to the detained leaders—Kammang Lhouvum, Ngamboi Haokip, and Pagin Hangshing—while in custody.

In its memorandum submitted to the Deputy Chief Minister, CoTU maintained that the July 11 Leimakhong incident was the result of months of public resentment over the alleged failure of the authorities to ensure the uninterrupted supply of essential commodities, medicines, and basic healthcare services to Kangpokpi.

The organisation claimed that similar public outrage had erupted at Gamgiphai on June 30, where protesters allegedly attempted to breach buffer zones after prolonged economic disruptions, but no visible action was taken against those allegedly enforcing the blockade.

The memorandum sought the immediate release of retired IDES officer K. Lhouvum, who is also the chief of Hengjang village, along with Ngamboi Haokip and Pagin Hangshing, all of whom were arrested on July 11.

It also raised objections to the reported midnight raid conducted on July 12 at the residence of Bongphajol village chief Douminlal Haokip by CRPF CoBRA personnel, alleging that the operation was carried out without a search warrant or the presence of local police.

CoTU requested the Deputy Chief Minister to ensure that no further raids or searches of Kuki-Zo civil society leaders' residences are conducted without due legal process, including proper search warrants and the presence of local police personnel.

Copies of the memorandum were also forwarded to the Security Advisor to the Government of Manipur and the Director General of Police for necessary action.

The protest concluded peacefully amid heavy security deployment, with demonstrators reiterating their demand for the immediate release of the arrested leaders and urging the government to address what they described as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Kangpokpi.