Women from Kuki-Zo prevent CM Singh from entering Kangpokpi

Kuki-Zo women from Sadar Hills in the Kangpokpi district gathered at Gamgiphai this morning to obstruct Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s planned passage. The purpose of the demonstration was to stop Singh from traveling to the nearby Senapati district of Manipur for the Liangmai Changa Ngee 2024 celebration. Prior to his planned visit, the Chief Minister had received a strong warning from the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), which described any attempt to enter Kuki-Zo territories as “provocative” and possibly “dangerous.”

CoTU had previously warned that the Manipur chief minister’s visit could incite unrest in an already sensitive area and accused him of inciting violence against the Kuki-Zo community. Around nine in the morning, the agitation started, with a sizable contingent of women closely monitoring the roadway to stop CM Singh and other Meitei community politicians and officials from accessing it. The Chief Minister was cautioned by CoTU general secretary Lamminlun Singsit to refrain from trying to enter Kuki-Zo-dominated areas. He emphasized that any further attempts to enter Kuki-Zo territory would be viewed as “trespassing” and might cause tensions to increase, further widening the state’s communal divide.