Manipur Government's attempt to ferry convoy foils as tension grips Kangpokpi

Barely a few days ahead of Christmas, tension gripped Manipur's Kangpokpi district over the state Home Department's public notice to ferry convoy with the provision of additional security forces along the Imphal-Kangpokpi-Mao route.

The state Government's attempt to ferry the convoy along the National Highway-2 (Imphal-Kangpokpi-Mao route) was foiled as enraged mobs came out on the street to confront any movement of the convoy at various locations from Gamgiphai to Kangpokpi District Headquarters.

Even, the state Governor's program to inaugurate the pre-fabricated house at Champhai today was also canceled owing to the volatile situation.

The irate mobs also imposed an emergency shutdown at Kangpokpi District Headquarters putting down all shutters of shops and business establishments. However, though, vehicular movement was not restricted, intense frisking and checking were carried out along the highway at Kangpokpi District Headquarters and Gamgiphai.

Even village volunteers with their licensed arms also came out on the street intensifying the public movement.

The launching of the Manipur State Transport (MST) bus service between Imphal-Senapati was also foiled as the MTS bus carrying few passengers and moving towards Senapati could not cross the buffer zone till the filing of this report.

It was reported that the MST bus with six passengers was emptied somewhere at Kanglatongbi near Gamgiphai and the passengers were shifted to the Senapati/Mao passenger bus.

It may be recalled that the Committed on Tribal Unity (CoTU) Sadar Hills asked the state Government to withdraw the Home Department's public notice for the provision of additional security forces to ferry convoys along the National Highway to avoid any untoward incidents.

Similarly, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills while strongly opposing the Home Department's public notice, cautioned the state Government to be held accountable and responsible for any untoward incidents if it went on with its decision by bulldozing the public sentiment.

The Kuki-Zo people considered the state Home Department's public notice as something "fishy" and apprehensive about the state Home Department's decision to ferry convoys with the provision of additional security forces when vehicles including essential commodities carriers are plying freely without any hindrance.

The Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills termed the provision of additional security forces along the Imphal-Kangpokpi-Mao route and the unilateral declaration of free passage within the Kuki-Zo area as nothing but to depict the Kuki-Zo community in bad light.

CoTU's Spokesperson, Kaiminlen Sitlhou said that the committee considered the forced normalization of the present situation as a deliberate attempt to cover up the Manipur Government's eight-month-long sinister design of genocide.

He said that the Manipur Government's Home Department Public Notice was uncalled for, as the passage of vehicular movement was never hindered by the Kuki-Zo.

He also said that it is pertinent to mention that there has been no reciprocity of supply of essential commodities from the valley till date.

"In fact, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is hell-bent on disrupting the Christmas festivity of the Christian minorities by trying to reignite animosity in the already volatile situation", he added.

He then said that such a prescriptive policy to appease one community over the other is unacceptable to the Kuki-Zo community.

He further said that the Kuki-Zo people will intensify the scrutiny of the vehicular movement along the Imphal- Kangpokpi-Mao route.