Manipur: Kuki group extends shutdown in Kangpokpi district by 48 hours

On October 29, the Kuki-Zo civil society and tribal organisation had called a 48-hour shutdown in the district, which was later extended for another 24 hours last Saturday. (ANI/File)

Accusing the government of failing to deliver justice for the abduction and murder of two Kuki-Zo civilians, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) on Monday prolonged its total shutdown in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district by another 48 hours.

Essential services, including schools, healthcare, media, and airport-bound transit, have been exempted from the shutdown.

On October 29, the Kuki-Zo civil society and tribal organisation had called a 48-hour shutdown in the district, which was later extended for another 24 hours last Saturday.

The CoTU accused authorities of failing to act decisively despite the gravity of the crime, leaving the victims’ families and the Kuki-Zo community waiting for justice. “The patience of a grieving community must never be mistaken for weakness, nor its demand for justice be treated with contempt,” its statement read. The Committee stated that the Kuki-Zo community would no longer accept administrative delays or empty assurances, demanding immediate, time-bound justice against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

It warned that failure on the part of the government to ensure decisive action and timely justice within the extended 48-hour period would compel it to take its own course of action with the help of its community.

“… will hold the government responsible for the consequences of its continued failure to respond to the community’s demand for justice,” the statement added.