IMPHAL: Kuki-Zo community organized a rally at Sadar Hills Kangpokpi district in Manipur under the banner of Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) to express discontentment towards the Manipur assembly’s resolution to revoke Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki groups.
They also demanded the reinstatement of the armed forces special powers act (AFSPA) in the 19 police stations of valley areas in Manipur.
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During the rally, participants chanted slogans such as “Democracy not Autocracy”, “Manipur State Assembly resolution Meitei Resolution”, “Manipur State Assembly not for Kuki-Zo”, “Imphal Government Communal Government”, “Manipur State Assembly succumbs to 24 January Kangla Arambai Tenggol Diktat”, “Re-impose AFSPA in the valley”, and “SoO not appeasement policy for Meiteis”.
Additionally, CoTU called for a 24-hour total shutdown starting on Monday (March 04) and concluding on March 05.
As a result, all shops, educational institutions, offices, and private establishments in the district remain closed, except for vehicular movement along the highway.
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Kaiminlen Sitlhou, the spokesperson for CoTU, addressed the media during the event, stating that the shutdown and rally aimed to protest the Manipur state assembly’s resolution to revoke the SoO agreement with the Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur.
He emphasized that the Manipur legislative assembly should prioritize addressing the current law and order situation in Imphal rather than focusing on the SoO.
Sitlhou asserted, “AFSPA is needed in the valley districts as much as SoO is needed in the hills.”
The rally concluded peacefully, with vigilant efforts from the Kangpokpi police to prevent any potential violent incidents.