WCKCSOs Issues 36-Hour Ultimatum Over Continued Travel Restrictions on Kuki-Zo Commuters; Threatens Total Blockade on National Highway-2 if Demands Not Met

Amid the continued travel restrictions affecting the Kuki-Zo populace between Kangpokpi and Churachandpur, the Working Committee of Kuki Civil Society Organisations (WCKCSOs) has issued a stern 36-hour ultimatum demanding an immediate end to what it terms an "uncivilized and undemocratic blockade."

According to the Spokesperson of the Working Committee Kuki CSOs Thangminlen Kipgen, the indefinite restriction—which has been in effect since July 15—has inflicted immense hardship on commuters, cutting off essential supplies and escalating tensions in an already fragile region.

After extensive consultations with stakeholders and civil society groups, the WCKCSOs claimed to have unmasked the real forces behind the protest, accusing radical elements of manipulating local tribal dynamics for their own agenda.

“Certain radicalized Meitei supremacists are using the ‘Foothills Naga’ as a scapegoat to create friction between the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities.”

He also specifically named Sapamacha Jadumani of the Federation of Haomee and Th Manihar of FOCS, alleging that both had "single-handedly inflamed the sentiments" of members of the unsuspecting Liangmei community, particularly in areas through which Kuki-Zo travellers regularly commute.

The WCKCSOs accused these groups of deliberately inciting hostility to disrupt the flow of essential commodities and to impose unwarranted travel hardships on the Kuki-Zo people. Despite repeated appeals and calls for intervention, the organization claims that both district and central authorities have remained silent and inactive.

“In light of these malicious and targeted acts of ethnic discrimination, we are compelled to issue this ultimatum,” Kipgen asserted.

The WCKCSOs warned that if the blockade is not lifted within 36 hours, a total blockade of essential supplies along Asian Highway/National Highway-2 will begin from 7:00 AM on August 8, continuing indefinitely until the matter is addressed.

The committee also made it unequivocally clear that any consequences arising from the situation will be the sole responsibility of Jadumani, Manihar, and the relevant authorities at both the state and central levels.