UKHRUL: The Central Village Defence Force (CVDF) has strongly opposed the 24-hour total shutdown called by the Kuki Students’ Organisation Churachandpur (KSO) in Churachandpur district, stating that the call has neither legitimacy nor acceptance in Zomi-inhabited areas under its protection.
In a press communiqué issued on Wednesday, the CVDF said the shutdown announced by the KSO does not extend to Zomi areas and cannot be enforced without prior acknowledgement and concurrence of the CVDF. It also rejected the so-called “Lungthu Resolution” adopted at the Guwahati conclave, asserting that Zomi communities are neither participants in nor bound by decisions taken under the Kuki-Zo framework.
The CVDF reiterated that the Zomi Council, through its Annual General Assembly held in May 2024, had formally rejected the term “Kuki-Zo” as a legitimate collective identity and denounced attempts to subsume Zomi areas under frameworks or nomenclatures not accepted by the community.
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Meanwhile, the Kuki Students’ Organisation, Churachandpur district, announced a 24-hour total shutdown across the district starting midnight of February 6 as a mark of protest against the participation of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the formation of the Manipur government. The organisation said the shutdown would exempt medical emergencies, media, and essential humanitarian services.
The CVDF cautioned that any attempt to enforce shutdowns, intimidate civilians, or disrupt normal life in Zomi areas would be treated as unauthorised and dealt with accordingly, while appealing to the public to remain calm and continue normal activities.
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