Thousands of Kuki-Zo people from across Kangpokpi district took to the streets on Saturday in a massive protest rally organised under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), demanding the immediate and safe release of two Kuki-Zo civilians allegedly abducted by armed cadres of the Tangkhul-led NSCN-IM and ZUF (Kamson group) from Taphou Kuki village on October 28.
The massive gathering converged at Brigadier M Thomas Ground in Kangpokpi, where community leaders and the parents of the abducted youths made emotional appeals for their safe return, condemning the abduction and demanding immediate government intervention.
In a particularly heart-wrenching appeal, Haokholet Hangshing, father of one of the abducted youths, said the much-publicised free movement initiative had turned into a "death trap" for his sons, who remained untraced since their abduction.
"What is the meaning of free movement along National Highway-2 when we are not safe and can be abducted right on the highway?" he questioned.
Expressing anguish over the continued uncertainty surrounding his sons' whereabouts, he said the family had placed its faith in the popular government led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and appealed to the authorities to trace the abducted youths and ensure their safe and unconditional release at the earliest.
The emotional appeal underscored the growing desperation of the families, who continue to await news of their loved ones.
Carrying placards and raising slogans along National Highway-2, the protesters subsequently marched towards the Deputy Commissioner's office in Kangpokpi, turning the highway into a powerful demonstration of public outrage and collective demand for justice.
The rally culminated in the submission of a memorandum addressed to the Union Home Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Kangpokpi.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) spokesperson Ng. Lun Kipgen asserted that any meaningful and lasting resolution to the ongoing crisis in Manipur would remain elusive unless the Government of India first acknowledged and addressed what he described as the problem posed by the armed Tangkhul-led militant group, NSCN-IM.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of a mass protest rally in Kangpokpi, Kipgen said the Centre must first recognise the existence of the problem in Manipur, warning that any attempt to pursue a long-term solution without addressing its root causes would be short-sighted and unsustainable.
"Unless and until the Government of India understands that there is a problem in Manipur, any long-term solution would be short-sighted and would not be sustainable," he said.
Referring to more than three years of what he described as ethnic and religious persecution of the Kuki-Zo community, Kipgen said the community's elected representatives had joined the formation of a popular government despite their reservations because they continued to have faith in the Constitution of India.
He said the Kuki-Zo community understood that dialogue was indispensable to any political settlement or lasting resolution, adding that the decision of its elected representatives to join the government was primarily driven by the belief that engagement and dialogue must be the first steps towards resolving the crisis.
He further said Kuki-Zo civil society organisations had also made efforts to reach out to valley-based civil society organisations, but alleged that the armed NSCN-IM and its "stooges", the Liangmais, had continued to create havoc.
Taking a direct swipe at Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Kipgen urged him not to misuse his constitutional position to belittle or undermine his counterpart in the state government.
He said that if Dikho had any disagreement or issue, it should be raised and discussed in the proper forum of the House of the People, referring to the Manipur Legislative Assembly in Imphal, rather than using his high office to demean his counterpart.
On the abduction of two Kuki youths, the CoTU spokesperson placed the responsibility squarely on Dikho, demanding his immediate intervention to secure their safe release.
"The onus is on Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho. The lives and security of the two individuals abducted by your people are at stake. We want your immediate intervention to release those two individuals. The ball is in your court," Kipgen said.
He also appealed to the present state government to abandon what he termed a prescriptive policy of appeasing one community at the expense of another, asserting that selective appeasement would only deepen the crisis rather than restore peace.
"This prescriptive policy of appeasing one community over the other should stop if you want peace in the state and if you want the state to remain as a state," he said.
Kipgen called for concrete and decisive action by the state government, coupled with immediate intervention by the Government of India, to address the prevailing crisis and create conditions for lasting peace in Manipur.
The memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah by a conglomerate of 21 civil society organisations in Kangpokpi District demanded his immediate intervention to secure the unconditional release of two abducted Kuki civilians, end alleged discriminatory law enforcement and ensure equal constitutional protection for the Kuki-Zo people.
The organisations warned that continued government inaction, insecurity and alleged persecution had pushed the Kuki-Zo community into an increasingly precarious situation.
The CSOs demanded the safe release of Paoginlal Hangshing (20) and Tinginlun Chongloi (21), allegedly abducted by NSCN-IM cadres, and immediate legal action against those responsible, irrespective of their affiliation or influence.
Highlighting the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the organisations cited the deaths of 31 Kuki-Zo civilians, attacks on 31 villages, the burning of 271 houses and the forced displacement of at least 2,500 people from their ancestral villages.
They also accused authorities of selective law enforcement and unequal treatment, asserting that limited political representation or influence must never become grounds for denying citizens their constitutional rights and protection.
"The Constitution does not permit the State to determine whose lives deserve protection based on political significance or electoral considerations," the memorandum stated.
Calling for political resolve, institutional accountability and measurable action instead of prolonged deliberations and administrative indecision, the organisations urged Shah to personally intervene to protect the lives, dignity and constitutional rights of the Kuki-Zo people.
Reaffirming their commitment to peaceful and democratic means, the CSOs delivered a blunt message to the Centre: "The time for indecision has passed. The time for decisive, impartial and accountable action is now."
Meanwhile, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) extended its ongoing shutdown in by another 24 hours, warning of intensified and sustained democratic agitation if authorities fail to secure the safe rescued of the two Kuki civilians allegedly abducted by armed cadres of NSCN-IM and the ZUF (Kamson group).
CoTU said the shutdown, which was scheduled to end at 5 pm on October 31, had been extended in view of the continued failure of the concerned authorities to secure the safe return of the two missing youths despite the gravity and urgency of the situation.
Expressing deep resentment over the absence of any satisfactory outcome, the Sadar Hills-based tribal body said the failure to address the legitimate concerns of the affected community was "deeply disturbing and unacceptable".
Reiterating that the safe and immediate rescue of the two abducted civilians and the delivery of justice must remain the utmost priority, CoTU demanded that the government and all concerned agencies act with urgency, responsibility and accountability within the extended 24-hour period.
Issuing a stern warning to the authorities, CoTU said the Kuki-Zo people would be compelled to intensify their democratic agitation through further collective and sustained forms of protest if no satisfactory resolution was achieved within the stipulated timeframe.
"Let it be clearly stated that if the authorities fail to deliver justice and secure a satisfactory resolution within the stipulated 24 hours, the Kuki-Zo people will be compelled to intensify their democratic agitation," the statement said.
The committee also appealed to the public to remain united, disciplined and peaceful while continuing to press for justice, accountability and the safe return of the two missing civilians.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
