Guwahati: Normal life in Manipur’s Churachandpur district was severely disrupted on Friday as tribal organisations enforced a total shutdown to protest the participation of a Kuki-Zo MLA in the state government formation process, officials said.
Bandh supporters blocked vehicles across parts of the district headquarters town from Friday morning, while markets remained closed and vehicular movement was minimal. Educational institutions and government offices reported poor attendance.
The Churachandpur unit of the Kuki Students Organisation imposed a 24-hour shutdown starting at midnight, while the Joint Forum of Seven enforced a shutdown in Kuki-Zo areas from 6 am to 6 pm. The shutdown was particularly strict in the Tuibong area of the district headquarters, officials noted.
The situation remained tense, prompting authorities to deploy additional security forces at key locations in the town as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) announced a mass public rally on Friday afternoon to oppose the involvement of Kuki-Zo MLAs in government formation. The organisation said the protest aimed to demonstrate strong opposition to any move involving Kuki-Zo MLAs under the current circumstances, representing the collective stance of Kuki women against what they described as unacceptable political developments.
On Thursday evening, clashes erupted near the Tuibong forest gate between a mob and security forces, leading to baton charges and the use of tear gas to disperse stone-pelting protesters. The confrontations continued until around 3 am on Friday, leaving two demonstrators injured, officials said.
The Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee warned that any attempt to intimidate or harm MLA N Sanate, or to damage his properties, would be seen as a violation of the collective stance of tribal communities in Pherzawl and Jiribam districts. The committee reaffirmed its support for the interests of the Hmar, Kuki, and Zomi tribes and cautioned against letting recent political developments create friction among the three communities.
The protests follow visits by N Sanate and MLA L M Khaute to Imphal on Wednesday as part of the NDA team staking a claim for government formation. The two Kuki-Zo-Hmar legislators, along with Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, also participated virtually in the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on Thursday.