IT News
Imphal, Aug 31:
In response to warnings of severe consequences issued against the proposed rally by the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), the KSO Ukhrul district canceled its planned rallies today in both Ukhrul and Kamjong districts. However, despite stern warnings from the state government’s Home Department threatening legal action, a large number of Kuki people proceeded with rallies demanding the prosecution of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and the establishment of a separate administration.
Police and central security forces were present but remained on the sidelines, taking no action, even though the state Home Department had issued orders to stop the rallies. According to reports, the rallies were held in various districts, including Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, and Churachandpur.
Protesters, holding placards and chanting slogans, asserted that a separate administration is the only viable solution to the current unrest in Manipur. One prominent poster at the rally read: “For peace in Manipur, Mother India has to deliver a new baby statehood called Kukiland.”
The rallies witnessed significant participation, particularly along National Highway 37 from Lhangnom to Tatbung, and in Tuibong, Churachandpur, where the demand for “Kukiland” resonated strongly with the crowd.
These rallies in Manipur are seen as a precursor to a larger protest scheduled for August 31, 2024, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The call for the creation of a Union Territory with a Legislature for the Kuki-Zos has been echoed by various Kuki bodies, including Kuki Inpi and the Kuki Students’ Organisation. The upcoming rally, scheduled between 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM, is being held to protest what the organizers describe as “institutionalized genocide” by the N. Biren Singh-led BJP government against the Kuki-Zo people.
In anticipation of this protest, the Manipur State Government issued a public notice on August 30. While acknowledging the Zomi Students’ Federation’s announcement of a rally on August 31, another notice from the Kuki Students’ Organisation announced its rally in the Kangpokpi District and called for the closure of government offices and private institutions.
Concerned about maintaining law and order, the state government issued orders for preemptive measures, urging the public to keep business establishments, government offices, and private institutions open and functioning as usual.
