The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo body, extended its support to the indefinite shutdown called by the Kuki Zo Council (KZC) across all Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas in Manipur, protesting against the security forces’ crackdown on demonstrators opposing unrestricted movement
Guwahati: Amid the call for an indefinite shutdown by the Kuki-Zo groups opposing “free movement” across trouble-torn Manipur, the situation in violence-hit Kangpokpi district, where the Kuki protestors clashed with the security forces on Saturday, was still tense on Sunday. Normal life was affected in Kuki-dominated areas after a crackdown by the security forces enforcing the “free movement” order along the national highways.
Saying that a protester was killed and over 40 others, including women and policemen, were injured in clashes between Kuki demonstrators and the security forces in different parts of Kangpokpi district on Saturday, security sources said that clashes erupted between demonstrators and security forces in the Kuki-dominated district after the police fired teargas shells to disperse them, as they opposed Union home minister Amit Shah’s directive allowing free movement across the state.
Pointing out that the protest was directed against a peace march by the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a Meitei organisation, the security sources said the peace march by over 10 vehicles was halted by the security forces at Sekmai before it could reach Kangpokpi district. Asserting that the peace march was taken out without the permission of the administration, the sources said that it provoked the Kuki-Zo group to oppose the entire exercise of starting free movement in the state.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zo body, extended its support to the indefinite shutdown called by the Kuki Zo Council (KZC) across all Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas in Manipur, protesting against the security forces’ crackdown on demonstrators opposing unrestricted movement.
The ITLF in a statement on Sunday said: “Yesterday, the Government of India’s decision to allow the movement of Meiteis through Kuki-Zo areas led to agitation and protest in Kangpokpi.”
Endorsing the indefinite shutdown, the ITLF urged everyone to “adhere to the shutdown in solidarity”. The statement further said: “We respect everyone who came out to protest yesterday.”
Saying that additional security forces have been deployed in Gamgiphai and other parts of the district along NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur Road), with vehicular patrols being conducted to maintain law and order, the police said: “27 security personnel were injured when Kuki protesters pelted them with stones, barricaded roads with boulders, set tyres on fire, and felled trees.”
It said: “Amid the protests, there were incidents of firing from amongst the protesters towards the security forces, to which the security forces retaliated.”
The police also added: “The security forces showed tremendous restraint while trying to control the unruly and violent mob and used minimum force to control and counter the anti-social elements. During the skirmish, 16 protesters were reportedly injured, and one protester succumbed to injuries.”
