Imphal: A group of 21 civil society organisations and youth bodies in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district has approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking his intervention in the alleged abduction of two Kuki youths by armed Naga elements.
The Joint Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) submitted a memorandum to Shah through the Deputy Commissioner of Kangpokpi. The move followed a joint statement issued by the United Kuki Youth Council (UKYC) and the Kuki Youth Organization (KYO) about the disappearance of the two youths.
The missing individuals have been identified as Paoginlal Hangsing, 20, and Thangginlun Chongloi, 21, both residents of Taphou Kuki village.
According to the youth organisations, the two had been missing for four days, and their whereabouts remained unknown. They also alleged that authorities had not taken effective steps to trace them.
In their memorandum, the organisations urged the Union Home Minister to intervene and secure the safe and unconditional release of the two youths. They also sought legal action against those responsible, an impartial investigation and immediate measures to ensure the safety of the victims.
The CSOs alleged that cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) were involved in the abduction.
They also accused law enforcement agencies of treating communities differently and said the government had failed to protect the constitutional rights and security of the Kuki-Zo people.
The memorandum also referred to the impact of the ongoing conflict on the community. According to the organisations, violence has claimed the lives of 31 Kuki-Zo civilians, affected 31 villages, destroyed 271 houses by fire and displaced at least 2,500 people from their ancestral lands. They said the latest abduction had added to the community’s insecurity.
The UKYC and KYO also criticised the authorities’ response to the incident, alleging that the administration would have acted more urgently if the victims belonged to other communities. They called for equal protection of Kuki lives and urged authorities to take immediate action.
The organisations also called on the Government of India to consider imposing President’s Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution. They said recurring violence and divisions among communities showed that the existing political arrangement in Manipur had failed to ensure stability.
The memorandum also renewed the demand for a permanent political settlement through a Separate Administration in the form of a Union Territory with a legislature under the Constitution of India.
The organisations said temporary assurances would not address the community’s concerns and called for a lasting arrangement to safeguard its future.
They said they would continue to pursue their demands through peaceful, democratic and constitutional means.