UKHRUL: The Kuki CSO Working Committee (WCKCSOs)-Ukhrul has announced an indefinite total shutdown in the Ukhrul-Imphal National Highway 202 from midnight of August 5, claiming the decision was taken after the expiry of a 48-hour ultimatum allegedly ignored by the government.
The shutdown is being enforced along an approximately 10-km corridor stretching from Mongkot Chepu to Shangkai Kuki village, where normal movement of vehicles and commercial activities will remain affected from Wednesday morning.
The WCKSOs on Tuesday said the shutdown would continue until further notice. It maintained that the government’s failure to address its demands had left it with no option but to intensify its agitation.
It then said essential services, including electricity and water supply, telecom services, medical emergencies, airport-bound passengers, postal services and security force vehicles, would be exempted from the shutdown. It added that all exempted movements would be subject to strict frisking.
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The statement also laid down conditions for the movement of security forces. According to the committee, Army, Assam Rifles, BSF, CRPF and Manipur Police personnel on convoy, patrol or area domination duties should not transport civilian vehicles. It further said convoy commanders of the rank of Captain or Major and above must inform the committee’s media and security in-charge in advance about the timing, strength and composition of any convoy.
It WCKCSOs accused the government of failing to respond to its grievances and warned that anyone attempting to defy the shutdown would be responsible for the consequences. It also alleged that any coercive action by the government would only aggravate the situation.
The statement contained another warning, saying that “any act of violence from the government agencies will be met with an equal measure of force.”
Mercy Khongsai, vice president KSO Ukhrul said it had staged four days of peaceful protests in June and submitted multiple memoranda while holding several rounds of discussions with the district administration. However, it alleged that the exercise ended with only “verbal assurances” from the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul, without any meaningful action from the government. It also said its counter economic blockade had entered its tenth day. It described the agitation as a response to what it called a “selective economic blockade” allegedly imposed on the Kuki community by certain Tangkhul and Meitei groups.
Furthermore, Khongsai alleged that a meeting initially proposed by the Deputy Commissioner was later cancelled and replaced with a proposal for a virtual meeting. However, it claimed that no further communication was received from the district administration. Frustrated by what they described as the government’s continued inaction, students joined the agitation in solidarity, saying they could no longer remain silent in the face of what they viewed as injustice.
Khongsai reiterated its demand for the immediate lifting of the alleged selective economic blockade and said it was seeking equal treatment and the right to live with dignity.
