Tension escalated in Churachandpur district, Manipur, as a 24-hour shutdown was enforced by protesters against three Kuki-Zo legislators supporting the new state government. The protests, backed by the Kuki Zo Council (KZC), involved blocking a major highway and damaging a vehicle, reflecting community outrage against the legislators—Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, Lalliang Mang Khaute, and Ngursanglur Sanate—for allegedly betraying demands for a separate administration. During a mass rally organized by the ITLF Women Wing and Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights, effigies of the MLAs were burned, and speakers condemned their actions as a betrayal of the Kuki-Zo people’s cause. The shutdown led to the closure of markets, shops, and educational institutions, with only emergency services operating. Security was increased around the legislators’ homes to prevent further violence. The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) also criticized the MLAs and supported the remaining Kuki-Zo legislators who did not join the government. Since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023, resulting in nearly 260 deaths and the displacement of around 60,000, all ten Kuki-Zo legislators have been advocating for a separate administration, especially as ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities have intensified. With the formation of a Meitei-led government and the resignation of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, much of the community remains in relief camps amid ongoing tensions, despite a lull in major violence since January.
Imphal