Manipur tribal body imposes economic blockade in Kuki-Zo areas over alleged police brutality

Churachandpur (Manipur), Jan. 4: A tribal body in the Kuki-Zo inhabited areas of Manipur on Friday imposed an economic blockade.

The tribal body set out a protest against alleged action by security forces on women in a village of Kangpokpi district in Manipur, officials said on Friday.

Another organisation, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), also observed a 24-hour shutdown in the Kangpokpi district as a protest against the alleged baton charge on women on December 31 at Saibol village.

According to the Kuki-Zo Council, the economic blockade began on the midnight of January 2 and will continue till 2 pm on Saturday as a mark of protest against “disregard for tribal rights and dignity.”

Vehicular movement and transportation of essential commodities passing through the Kuki-Zo inhabited areas will be restricted during the blockade, the organisation said.

The Kuki-Zo Council will intensify its protest if the women injured in the alleged baton charge by security forces are not compensated, the tribal body's chairman, Henlienthang Thanglet, said in Churachandpur.

A clash broke out between a mob led by Kuki-Zo women and security forces in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday, triggering fresh tension in the ethnic strife-hit State.

The incident occurred after the mob tried to "disrupt" the deployment of a combined team of Army, BSF and CRPF, the police had said in a post on a micro-blogging platform.

"The economic blockade will be reimposed if the Government fails to maintain the buffer zone's sanctity which is in the hands of the administration," Thanglet said.

The buffer zone is a neutral area serving to separate groups belonging to warring Kuki and Meitei community members.

The council also extended its support to the total shutdown called by the CoTU in Kangpokpi district.

The tribal organisation had observed a 12-hour shutdown from 2 pm on Thursday, but the protest failed to "elicit a positive response from the Government", a CoTU official said. The committee is now observing a 24-hour shutdown, he added.

The tribal organisation also demanded the immediate withdrawal of Central forces at Saibol, terming their presence as "unnecessary and provocative".

A sit-in was also held near the Moreh Youth Club office in Tengnoupal against the alleged atrocities on Kuki-Zo women by security forces on December 31.

- With inputs from news agencies