The Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC) has extended full support to the indefinite bandh declared by the Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC) against the ongoing construction of the German/Tiger Road. The bandh, which began on July 18, protests what FNCC terms as unauthorised construction through Naga ancestral lands without community consultation.
MIYC asserted that the road, connecting Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, is widely viewed as an ethnic provocation due to its association with Kuki militant groups. The organisation also expressed concern over the presence of SoO camps near Naga and Meitei villages, calling them threats to territorial integrity and potential flashpoints for renewed violence.
In its statement, MIYC described the protest as a non-separatist assertion of Indigenous rights and identity. It warned that ignoring these legitimate concerns may deepen ethnic divisions and escalate tensions. The organisation also linked the controversial road to drug trafficking and poppy cultivation in the foothills, demanding urgent investigation and public health safeguards.
MIYC criticised the Indian government’s response to past and present violence in Manipur as inadequate, highlighting the displacement, destruction, and deaths from both the 1990s ethnic clashes and the 2023 violence. It said the ongoing crisis reflects unresolved historical injustices, including the forced 1949 merger of Manipur with India, which, it argued, violated the people’s will.
Calling for the removal of SoO camps and immediate recognition of FNCC’s concerns, MIYC urged the state and central governments to initiate dialogue based on constitutional provisions and international Indigenous rights frameworks. It cautioned that continued neglect could trigger unavoidable resistance and held the government accountable for any future escalation.