Kangpokpi decries attack on Kuki-Zo women
Source: Chronicle News Service
Kangpokpi, October 23 2023:
Kangpokpi denizens, mostly women folk took to the streets on Monday denouncing alleged gun attack on Kuki-Zo women traveling in a car by unknown armed individuals on October 16 evening.
Amid the ongoing unrest in the state, the womenfolk of Kangpokpi have been keeping night vigil for the past few weeks, as part of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) Sadar Hills Kangpokpi's sit-in protest, demanding separate administration.
According to Kangpokpi Town Committee (KTC), on October 16 around 7 pm some armed individuals traveling towards Dimapur on National Highway 2 fired multiple rounds towards the women on night vigil in Kangpokpi market before fleeing from the scene.
Local CSOs under Kangpokpi Town Committee's leadership, issued notices on social media platforms, urging the culprits to surrender voluntarily to KTC on or before October 20 .
However, no one has claimed responsibility or surrendered in connection with the incident.
In response to the incident, hundreds of people, primarily women, held a sit-in protest along National Highway 2, strongly condemning the unprovoked shooting.
The protesters chanted slogans such as "We Condemn the Indiscriminate and Unprovoked Firing," 'We Reject Bullets", "We Seek Separate Administration," and others.
They also displayed placards with messages like "Let's Resolve Issues through Dialogue, Not Bullets," "Peace in Kuki Zoland," "Senseless Acts Are Condemned by All," "Show Respect to Your Mothers - Apologize to the Women of Kangpokpi, " and more.
Boichong Haokip, a leader of Kangpokpi Women Welfare Organisation (KWWO), expressed frustration over the ongoing situation in the state since May 3 .
She noted the silence of Prime Minister and the inaction of the chief minister.
The Kuki-Zo women in Kangpokpi DHQs initiated sit-in protests to draw the Centre's immediate attention to the need for a resolution.
She stressed that amid the tense situation in the state and the suffering Kuki-Zo people, such inhumane acts are unacceptable.
The KWWO leader demanded apology from the culprits to the women of Kangpokpi and warned that recurrence of such inhumane act would result in stringent actions by the local organisations.