The border town of Moreh witnessed a mass rally today as members of the Kuki-Zo community staged protests against three legislators for joining the formation of the state government.
The rally was organised in support of a 24-hour shutdown called by the Kuki Students’ Organisation, which opposed the participation of the three MLAs in the government. The organisation alleged that the move amounted to a betrayal of the community’s demand for a Separate Administration.
The protest was jointly organised by the Kuki Students’ Organisation, Moreh Block, along with other Kuki-Zo civil society organisations in the area. Participants from various Kuki organisations took part in the rally, during which effigies of the three MLAs — Nemcha Kipgen, LM Khaute and N. Sanate — were burned as a mark of protest.
The rally began at Galngam Lantol Ground in Moreh, passed through Moreh Market, Forest Gate and along the National Highway, before concluding at the Hill Tribal Council office complex.
Prior to the rally, a public meeting was held at Galngam Lantol Ground, where speakers voiced strong opposition to the decision of the three MLAs to join the state government and reiterated their demand for a Separate Administration.
Normal life was disrupted across Manipur’s Churachandpur district today, following a total shutdown called by tribal organisations to protest the participation of a Kuki-Zo MLA in the formation of the state government, officials said.
Bandh supporters were seen blocking vehicular movement in parts of the district headquarters, with some holding sticks to enforce the shutdown. Markets remained closed, vehicles stayed off the roads, and attendance at educational institutions and government offices was thin, officials said.