Guwahati: In the ongoing strife spanning over seven months between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities in Manipur, tension took a new turn as the Kuki and Zo communities, who were collectively demanding a separate administration from the Manipur government, reportedly clashed with each other recently in the state’s Churachandpur district, injuring many.
To prevent escalation of tension, the state authorities has shutdown mobile data access in the entire district of Churachandpur.
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The conflict reportedly arose due to the raising of the Zomi flag and display of Zogam (Zoland) graphic near a memorial stone in Thingkangphai, a Kuki village amidst the Zo population.
Eyewitnesses reported a scuffle involving 50-60 individuals from both sides, escalating as more members joined in. Thankfully, the intervention of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) quick response team managed to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Communal tension had been brewing between the Kuki-Zo groups, initially triggered by disagreements over naming the burial site of those killed in clashes that began on May 3 this year.
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To prevent further escalation, the Churachandpur district administration has imposed prohibitory orders, restricting assembly and the carrying of weapons.
Additional, confrontations between Kukis and Zo reportedly occurred at Selmat bridge, resulting in injuries to 22 individuals, some sustaining minor head injuries.
The latest turn of events triggered after 41 bodies of victims of violence belonging to Kuki-Zo were airlifted from Imphal to Churachandpur in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling passed on November 28, 2023, that directed the Manipur government to facilitate a dignified burial or cremation for them.
The Churachandpur Superintendent of Police (SP) called for a meeting of community leaders to address the escalating tensions.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies remains vigilant with the Manipur police and other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) been deployed in critical areas to maintain control and prevent further escalation of tension.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), who is spearheading the demand for a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo communities, in its presidential meeting, resolved the impasse by unanimously deciding to name the burial site as ‘Kuki-Zo Martyrs Cemetery,’ ending the tension between the Kuki-Zo for now.