Kangpokpi, Senapati welcome 'Yatra'
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, January 15 2024: The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome in Kangpokpi district on Monday around 8 am as it crossed into Gamgiphai, the peripheral area of Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts.

Thousands of Kuki-Zo people welcomed Rahul Gandhi and his team with joy and excitement when the Yatra reached Gamgiphai where a cultural troupe performed tradi tional 'Salulap Dance' to greet the rally participants.

People in large numbers also lined up along the NH-2 and formed a long human chain to greet Rahul Gandhi till the Yatra reached Kangpokpi town.

Apart from several Congress leaders, INC candidates in the last assembly election from Saitu AC Dr Lamtinthang Haokip and Saikul AC Kim Haokip also accompanied Rahul Gandhi in the Yatra.

At Kangpokpi town, leaders of Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills met Rahul Gandhi and submitted a memorandum.

KSO Sadar Hills (KSO-SH) also handed over a memorandum to Rahul Gandhi apprising him of various needs and grievances of Kuki-Zo people.

Some leaders of Kuki Women Organization for Human Rights (KWOHR) travelled along with Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders on the Volvo bus from Gamgiphai till Kangpokpi town.

KWOHR leaders apprised Rahul Gandhi about the present situation, grievances, hardships and human rights violation faced by Kuki-Zo people.

They also highlighted the prevailing situation in Moreh.

At Kangpokpi, Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills leaders met Rahul Gandhi and submitted a memorandum drawing attention of the Congress leader on the on-going violence and hardships Kuki-Zo people have been facing particularly inability to access hospitals and colleges in Imphal.

The memorandum also highlighted efforts being made to remove tribes under the Kuki community from ST and sought urgent intervention from Rahul Gandhi to address such critical issues.

The KSO-SH memorandum to Rahul Gandhi urged the Congress leader to initiate steps to establish universities in Kuki-Zo-dominated areas at the earliest in view of crisis in the state as Kuki-Zo people have been deprived of educational opportunities.

The memorandum also called for affiliation of schools in Kuki-Zo dominated area to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at the earliest.

The memorandum also appealed to the Congres leader for the construction of CHC/PHC in all Kuki-Zo inhabited areas for timely coverage of healthcare facilities.

The Yatra then left Kangpokpi and headed towards Senapati.

According to our Senapati correspondent, the Rahul Gandhi-led "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' was accorded a warm reception by the people at Senapati district headquarters where Rahul Gandhi also addressed the people at Senapati bazar traffic point.

Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the turmoil that has been gripping the state for the past eight months.

He said that a Yatra from South to North was organised the previous year from Kanyakumari to Kashmir with the idea to bring the people of India together and it was successful.

Regarding the present Yatra from East to West, Rahul Gandhi said that the powerful Yatra should start from Manipur so that people of India could get a sense of what the people of the state have been going through, the difficulties and struggles they have been facing.

While asserting that he understands the tragedy in Manipur and how many lost their lives, homes and properties in the violence, the Congress leader said that peace should return for a peaceful and harmonious Manipur.

He said that he had been informed about the difficulties people have been facing in sectors like education, health and several issues.

He also prayed for return of peace in Manipur soon.

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Th Sokho George delivered the welcome address while Poumai cultural troupe presented a cultural dance during the short stop-over.

Rahul Gandhi also met different CSO leaders at Late Sanyi Dahrii Memorial Sports Complex, Khabung Karong, where the rally team had lunch.

Later, the Yatra headed for Nagaland after tea break at Mao gate.

The Yatra will halt the night at Khuzama ground in Nagaland.

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