Kuki-Zo body urges governments to remove highway blockades in Manipur

The Committee on Tribal Unity has urged the Centre and the Manipur government to remove alleged highway blockades by Naga groups within 48 hours. The organisation said the restrictions have disrupted transport, caused shortages of essential commodities and affected public movement

Kangpokpi (Manipur): A Kuki-Zo organisation in Manipur’s Kangpokpi has urged the central and state governments to remove all blockades allegedly imposed by Naga groups along the national and state highways passing through the district.

In a statement, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) said that, following joint deliberations with all civil society organisations (CSOs) in Kangpokpi, it unanimously resolved to “serve a 48-hour ultimatum”, effective from Sunday midnight, for the removal of all blockades.

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The development came in the wake of rising prices and depleting stocks of essential commodities in the Kuki-Zo-majority district, caused by the blockades on NH-2 and NH-37, sources said.

CoTU said road transportation, the “lifeline of the people and backbone of economic activities”, has remained severely disrupted for over a month due to blockades and unauthorised checkpoints allegedly manned by Naga groups.

“This has caused immense hardship in the transport of essential commodities, medicines, medical supplies and the free movement of the public,” it said.

CoTU and the participating CSOs demanded that the Manipur government, in coordination with the Centre and security agencies, immediately remove all unauthorised checkpoints and gates along the national and state highways and restore unrestricted public access within 48 hours.

CoTU warned that failure to comply would compel the Kuki-Zo community to undertake “appropriate and pre-emptive democratic measures” to safeguard the interests, rights and security of the general public.

Manipur, where more than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic conflict between the Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and the adjoining hill-based Kukis, is currently witnessing strife between Kukis and Nagas, both hill communities, since February this year. The latest phase of the conflict has seen several killings and abductions.