CoTU enforces 12-hour shutdown, protest
Source: Chronicle News Service
Kangpokpi, December 29 2024:
Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) enforced a 12-hour total shutdown in Kangpokpi district, alongside a public protest at Gamgiphai on Sunday.
The protest was in response to alleged attacks by armed miscreants from the valley, which began on Christmas Eve in the Bungpi region.
The shutdown brought normal life in the district to a standstill.
Hundreds of Kuki-Zo women took to the fringe area in Bungpi region, forming human barriers to prevent security forces from demolishing community-built bunkers.
At the protest site in Gamgiphai, demonstrators raised slogans such as 'Meetei Narrative-Wrong Narrative', 'Our Volunteers - Our Shield', and 'Let Us Celebrate Our Festival-Without Fear' .
CoTU leaders reiterated their call for the central government to address the root causes of the conflict, particularly the presence of valley-based insurgent groups in the fringe areas.
They emphasised that the Kuki-Zo community would continue to defend their land and stand against any attempts to undermine their rights and safety.
CoTU called on the government to prioritise dialogue and take immediate action to ensure peace and security in the region.
Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah directly, Lun Kipgen expressed the community's exhaustion after enduring 19 months of alleged ethnic and religious persecution.
"Isn't it shameful that this conflict has dragged on for nearly two years? This issue can be resolved in a single day through political dialogue.
No amount of military intervention can bring peace-it must be dialogue-driven," Kipgen emphasised.
The Kuki-Zo community's message is clear; remove the valley insurgents, restore peace, and end this prolonged conflict, he asserted.