Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: Hundreds of Kuki civilians, predominantly women, staged a sit-in protest and formed human chains in Taphou Kuki town in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Monday, demanding the immediate and safe release of 14 Kuki civilians held in captivity.
The demonstration was organised by various Kuki civil society organisations under the aegis of the Kangpokpi Women Welfare Association and the Kangpokpi Town Committee. Protesters carried banners and placards calling for the release of the hostages and urging authorities to expedite efforts to resolve the crisis.
The protest comes amid a prolonged hostage standoff that has intensified tensions between Kuki and Naga communities in the hill districts of Manipur.
The 14 Kuki civilians, including three reportedly minor students, are being held by Naga groups in Senapati district. In turn, six Naga men allegedly abducted by Kuki armed groups remain missing.
The crisis is linked to the killing of three church leaders in Kangpokpi district on May 13, an incident that triggered a series of retaliatory abductions and escalated tensions in the region.
Efforts to resolve the standoff suffered a setback on June 1 after the United Naga Council (UNC) called off a planned handover of the 14 Kuki detainees. The decision reportedly followed opposition from a section of the Naga community.
Naga civil society organisations have maintained that the fate and whereabouts of the six missing Naga men must be clarified before the Kuki detainees are released.
Amid growing concerns over the situation, the Chief Ministers of Nagaland and Meghalaya had appealed for the simultaneous and safe release of all those being held.
The continuing conflict has also disrupted normal life in parts of the hill districts, with economic blockades and shutdowns along national highways affecting the movement of people and the supply of essential commodities.