Fresh Tension Has Grips Kangpokpi District In Manipur Following Protest Held By Kuki Zo People

On Monday hundreds of torch-bearing Naga women blocked security forces from escorting vehicles carrying essential commodities to Kuki-inhabited areas.Blockade which started owing to the hostage crisis in Manipur last month has resulted in disruption of supply of LPG cylinders in black market selling at Rs 5000, while 50 kg rice is selling at around Rs 1500.A senior police official said, “On Monday evening security forces use tear gas shells and mock bombs after repeated appeals to allow the convoy to proceed went unheeded The most significant standoff unfolded at Twilang on Sunday night, where Naga women formed a human barricade on the road and prevented the movement of a security-escorted convoy transporting medicines, ration supplies and other essential commodities.”The police official said, “ Security forces resorted to crowd-control measures to clear the route, triggering clashes during which tear gas shells were fired and mock bombs deployed to disperse the crowd. There were attempts to block the convoy in Thonlang and Atongba village”.The confrontation comes against the backdrop of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), which had demanded that the Centre and the Manipur government remove all alleged unauthorised checkpoints and restrictions along National Highway-2 within the stipulated time frame. The organisation had warned of intensified democratic agitation if its demands were not met, alleging that movement restrictions were disrupting normal life and hampering the transportation of essential commodities to Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas.The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) had alleged that several Kuki-Zo villages continued to face severe humanitarian hardships due to disruptions in transportation and supply routes. In a recent statement, the council claimed that villages such as Chassad and Aishi in Kamjong district had been prevented from purchasing essential commodities, while the supply of food and other essentials to Kotlen and Leilon in Kangpokpi district had also been disrupted. The council further alleged that blockades and movement restrictions in Naga-dominated areas of Senapati and Namdilong had affected the transportation of food, medicines, fuel and other essential commodities, and urged the authorities to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to all affected areas.A buffer zone means a neutral or peripheral area that people of the hills and valleys have as separate zones. This demarcation evolved during the ethnic conflict which broke out on May 3, 2023. Meiteis has rejected the concept of buffer zones while Kukis insist upon it.At least 50 people from the Kuki and Naga communities were held hostage by different armed groups in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts following the violent incidents of May 13, during which three church leaders were killed and four others injured in Kangpokpi district.Around 30 individuals from both communities were released on May 14 and May 15 following sustained efforts by the authorities, community leaders, and several civil society organisations.On June 10, the remaining 14 Kuki villagers were released and handed over to the police at a police station in Senapati district by the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Naga People's Organisation (NPO).The following day (June 11), the bodies of six Naga hostages were recovered from a forested area near Kharam Vaiphei village, a predominantly Kuki-Zo tribal settlement under the Saitu-Gamphazol Sub-Division of Kangpokpi district.