Imphal: The total shutdown paralysed Manipur’s Kangpokpi district for a fifth consecutive day on Thursday after the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) extended its strike by 48 hours.
Long-distance transportation between Imphal, Nagaland and Assam remained severely disrupted, forcing multiple transport operators to seek alternative routes towards Dimapur and Guwahati.
The tribal body prolonged the closure until Friday evening to protest the state government’s failure to deliver justice for two slain Kuki-Zo youths.
Reports indicated that the blockade stranded thousands of passenger and commercial vehicles along the critical National Highway 2 corridor, completely halting local commerce, administration and education.
Stranded truck drivers confirmed that numerous vehicles were waiting in the Litan area of Ukhrul district for security escorts to proceed.
Committee leaders stated that the body would refuse to claim the victims’ remains until the state administration fulfilled its specific charter of demands.
The group described its terms as entirely non-negotiable and rejected any partial administrative compliance or selective implementation.
Representatives warned that the Kuki-Zo community would convene a mass public meeting to launch intensified democratic agitations if the government delayed decisive action against the perpetrators.
The initial strike followed the October 28 abduction of two 20-year-old men from Taphou Kuki village, whose bodies security forces recovered during a joint search operation on November 1.
The CoTU called the shutdown on Sunday, November 1, following the recovery of the bodies of the two abducted Kuki-Zo youths. This came after the body had previously imposed a 48-hour shutdown from October 29 to 31, 2026.