Thousands Mark ‘Separation Day’ in Kangpokpi with Shutdown, reiterates demand for freedom from tyranny

Thousands across Sadar Hills in Kangpokpi district on Saturday congregated at Martyrs’ Cemetery, Phaijang, in a solemn observation of the “Separation Day,” marking three years since the Manipur conflict erupted on May 3, 2023.

The observance was accompanied by a 12-hour total shutdown across Sadar Hills, during which business establishments, private and educational institutions remained closed, and vehicular movement—barring emergency services—came to a standstill.

At Martyrs’ Cemetery, Phaijang, under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the central programme unfolded in an atmosphere marked by grief and remembrance. Thousands of Kuki-Zo people gathered alongside prominent leaders and civil society organisations, united in mourning and a shared call for dignity and peace.

Mourners offered floral tributes and bowed in silence before the graves of those killed in the violence. Each garland placed symbolised sacrifice and loss, as families and community members paid homage to the deceased.

The ceremony reached a solemn high point with a respectful parade and a traditional gun salute by Kuki-Zo volunteers, underscoring collective remembrance for those who lost their lives. A minute’s silence was also observed by those assembled at the cemetery.

During the event, CoTU Joint Secretary Lamminlun Singsit read out an eight-point declaration earlier adopted by the Kuki-Zo people, reaffirming their commitment to its demands.

CoTU spokesperson Ng. Lun Kipgen, addressing the gathering, invoked the words of India’s first Prime Minister, stating, “The field of battles lie before you, the flag of India beckons you; who lives in India dies, and who dies if India lives,” to highlight what he described as an erosion of democratic values in the region.

“The Kuki-Zo community, having witnessed such travesty of justice for the past three tumultuous years under tyrant leadership espousing fascism, cannot but observe this day with sobriety,” he said, paying tribute to those who “sacrificed their lives to defend land, homes, pride and dignity.”

Describing the occasion as both remembrance and resistance, Kipgen termed the community a “testament to nefarious design of governance,” alleging prolonged ethnic and religious persecution.

Calling for unity, he urged the Kuki-Zo people to “shun all differences” and come together to reclaim their “fair share of legitimacy shed by the blood of fallen heroes.”

He also reiterated the demand for freedom “from tyranny,” while asserting that any future course must remain “within the confines of the Constitution of India and nothing less.”

Observed monthly as “Remembrance Day” and annually as “Separation Day” amid ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, the occasion has increasingly emerged as a focal point for political messaging by Kuki-Zo civil society groups, reflecting deepening fault lines in the state.

Meanwhile, in a solemn yet resolute show of collective assertion, thousands gathered at the Moreh Martyrs Complex on Sunday to observe “Separation Day – 2026,” renewing demands for a separate administrative arrangement for the Kuki-Zo community in strife-torn Manipur.

The programme, held within the KSO Moreh Campus at Ngamkhai Veng in Tengnoupal district, was jointly organised by several key civil society organisations, including the Hill Tribal Council, Kuki Women’s Union & Human Rights, Moreh Youth Club, Moreh Pastors Fellowship, Kuki Khanglai Lawmpi, and the Kuki Students’ Organization (Moreh Block).

The observance unfolded against the backdrop of continuing ethnic tensions, with speakers repeatedly underscoring what they termed as “deepening alienation” and an “urgent political crisis” facing the Kuki-Zo people.

Leaders of the Moreh Pastors Fellowship led solemn prayers for the community, families of those killed in the violence, and others affected by the prolonged conflict, invoking unity and resilience amid uncertainty.

Addressing the gathering, representatives from various civil society organisations voiced strong concerns over the political future of the Kuki-Zo community, calling for unwavering unity and a clear, collective direction. The speakers reiterated that the present situation has made coexistence increasingly untenable, reinforcing the call for a separate administrative framework.

Participants paid floral tributes at the martyrs’ complex and observed moments of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the violence, as grief and defiance marked the tone of the event.

The programme concluded with a firm and unified demand for the creation of a Union Territory with legislative powers, projected by organisers and speakers as the only viable solution to ensure security, political recognition, and long-term stability for the Kuki-Zo people.

The observance in Moreh adds to similar calls emerging from Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, signalling a sustained and intensifying push for political separation amid one of Manipur’s most volatile phases in recent history.