Imphal: A large number of people from the Kuki-Zo community participated in a rally at the Kangpokpi district headquarters on Friday, organised by the Kuki Christian Leaders’ Forum (KCLF), demanding justice for the killing of three church leaders. The protesters alleged that the suffering of the Kuki-Zo community has not received adequate attention.
The demonstrators marched to the official residence of Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen. As the minister was not present, they submitted a memorandum to her representative.
Addressing the gathering, the protesters alleged that the media has largely focused on the hardships faced by other communities while overlooking the plight of the Kuki-Zo community and further claimed that 14 members of the Kuki-Zo community have been killed and that 13 villagers were attacked and burned alive during the ongoing ethnic violence.
Condemning the killings at Kotlen, the Kuki Christian Leaders’ Forum described the incident as a grave act of violence. The three deceased church leaders were identified as Dr Rev Vumthang Sitlhou, president of the Thadou Baptist Association India, Kaigoulum, and Pastor Paogoulen.
However, the Thadou Inpi Manipur and several other Thadou organisations have repeatedly objected to the identification of the three church leaders as “Kuki.” They asserted that the victims belonged to the Thadou community and not the Kuki community, highlighting the continuing dispute over community identity.
The protesters called for a fair and independent investigation into the killings and the alleged burning of villages. They also demanded enhanced security to safeguard lives and villages, as well as adequate compensation for families whose homes and villages were destroyed during the violence.