KIM's shutdown total in Kpi : Vehicles damaged along NH-2
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, August 08 2018: Following the strict instruction of Kuki Inpi, all Kuki dominated areas in Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi district came to a standstill today from 6 am.

Similar incident has also been reported in all other Kuki dominated areas of Manipur disrupting traffic flow and normal functioning of business establishments, educational institutions and Government institutions.

Supporting the bandh different organisations in Moreh, including HTC, KSO, Moreh Youth Club, KWU & HR blocked vehicular movement in Moreh town apart from blocking Moreh Gate no 2 .

Meanwhile, Government offices, institutes, business establishments, schools and colleges remained closed and tyres were burned along NH 102 by the bandh supporters.

As many as four vehicles including one Activa, two Maruti Swift Dzire and one Ford iKon car were damaged by bandh supporters along National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) road at Gamgiphai in Kangpokpi district for defying the bandh call.

Bandh volunteers were seen blocking National Highway-2 at Gamgiphai, Sapormeina and Taphou Kuki village, bordering Kangpokpi with Senapati district.

Some were seen burning tyres along the National Highway.

In Saikul, volunteers blocked Imphal-Saikul road at Champhai village.

They were also seen burning tyres along the road.

Women volunteers were also seen pulling out benches and sitting along the road for the day.

There is no report of any untoward incident till the time of filing this report.

The shutdown was total.

All educational institutions in Kuki dominated areas in the district declared holiday for three days owing to the bandhs lined up in the district.

Business establishments also remained closed for the day while Government institutions were also seen closed.

Exempted services like, medical, media fraternity, etc.

were also strictly monitored by the bandh volunteers along the National Highway.

Speaking to media persons at Gamgiphai, Lamminlun Singsit, general secretary, Kuki Inpi Kangpokpi district said that responding to the call of Kuki Inpi Manipur, the Kuki people in Kangpokpi district under the aegis of Kuki Inpi Kangpokpi district fully endorse the 24 hours total shutdown and will support and endorse the Kuki Inpi Manipur in its movement to achieve the much needed attention of the Centre and State Government to fulfil its demands.

He also appealed the Centre and State Government to fulfil the demands of Kuki Inpi in the larger interest of peace co-existence and understanding.

Meanwhile, Kuki Inpi Manipur has vehemently condemned the alleged irresponsible and arrogant behavior of Deputy Commissioner, Churachandpur and demanded the authority concerned to remove him from the district at the earliest possible time.

A statement issued by KIM information and publicity department said that the Kuki Inpi Manipur is offended and appalled by the irresponsible and arrogant behavior of the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur district, Shyam Lal Poonia on the day of the general strike called by the Kuki Inpi Manipur.

It also said that 24 hours total shutdown has been imposed as a mark of protest against the inordinate delay and denial of justice by successive Governments at the Centre and the State to more than 900 innocent Kuki civilians who were slaughtered, 360 villages destroyed, and more than 1 lakh rendered homeless and displaced in the Kuki genocide perpetrated by the NSCM-IM in the early 1990s."Let it be known to all concerned, that the Kukis have been denied justice for 25 years now", it asserted.

It also alleged that Shyam Lal Poonia in scant regard to the feeling and sensitivity of the Kukis had stubbornly decided to go ahead with the social work /cleanliness drive of all Government departments in the district on the very day of the KIM general strike.

It further said that it is extremely unlikely that Shyam Lal Poonia was in the dark about the KIM proposed general strike, when every media outlets (both print and electronic) in the State had reported about it and the callous attitude displayed by the DC reflect his biases, exposes his true character and the utter disregard of the victims of the Kuki genocide in particular and the Kukis in general.

"The impudent behavior of Shyam Lal Poonia is not only a defiance of the leadership of KIM but also a contempt of the Kukis as a whole, which is outrightly unacceptable", it said.

While strongly demanding the authority to remove Shyam Lal Poonia from Churachandpur district at the earliest without any further ado, it [KIM] said that an officer like Shyam Lal Poonia lacks the qualities and the acumen required to administer a district like Churachandpur.

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