Imphal: A day’s total shutdown and protest demonstration in Tengnoupal district of Manipur ended peacefully on Saturday. Kuki civil bodies submitted a memorandum to Governor Ajay Bhalla demanding to stop targeting the arrest of Kuki-Zo civil leaders and militants under the suspension of operation (SoO).
The protest was organised by six Kuki-Zo bodies, including the Kuki Students’ Organisation, Moreh Block.
As part of the demonstration, a mass rally was held in Moreh town to denounce the alleged arbitrary arrest of Kamginthang Gangte, a Kuki militant under the SoO agreement. Gangte was arrested by the NIA on Thursday at Moreh, an Indo-Myanmar border town. Manipur Police arrested two individuals — Philip Khaikholal Khongsai and Hemkholal Mate.
The arrest has been assumed to be linked to an ongoing investigation into the killing of sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ch. Anandakumar, a Manipur Police Service officer, who was shot dead by suspected sniper fire on October 31, 2023, in Moreh. The Manipur government handed over the case to the NIA on January 31 last year, and it was re-registered by the agency on February 9. However, it was not clear whether Gangte’s arrest was related to the killing of the police officer. An official, requesting anonymity, said, “Kamginthang Gangte was allegedly involved in the attack on the Indian Reserve Battalion post at Moreh Bazar on January 17 last year, where one Manipur police personnel was killed. He and his associates were suspected to be part of the attack, and his arrest was made as part of the investigation.”
The Meitei-Kuki conflict was reported on May 3, 2023, with Kuki groups, allegedly supported by armed militants, attacked Meitei villages in Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts.
Friday’s protest was witnessed with large numbers of demonstrators marching through Moreh, urging the authorities to release Gangte and return him to his designated SoO camp in accordance with protocol. The SoO agreement, originally signed between the central government and 25 Kuki insurgent groups, was last extended until February 29, 2024. There has been no official announcement about a further extension.
The protestors submitted a memorandum to the Governor Bhalla through local MLA Letpao Haokip. The memorandum alleged that arrests and criminal charges against Kuki-Zo leaders and SoO cadres were being made “On mere suspicion” and “Without concrete evidence.” The memorandum urged the government to stop targeting Kuki-Zo leaders and SoO cadres, stating that such actions threaten their fundamental rights. It also demanded to immediately transfer Lt. Col. Nitin Sharma from Moreh to restore confidence in the Assam Rifles and normalcy in the region.
Meanwhile, Meitei Alliance, a Meitei civil body, issued a statement on Saturday supporting the government’s earlier stance. It said, “Realising the seriousness of the matter, the Government of Manipur in March 2023 announced the abrogation of the SoO with two Kuki armed groups. In January 2024, taking serious note of Kuki armed groups’ role in the Manipur violence, the state government recommended against any further extension of the SoO.”
The alliance reiterated its previous appeal to the Union Home Minister, urging the central government not to renew the SoO agreement with Kuki armed groups. “To renew the agreement would be to reward impunity, legitimise armed violence, and further destabilise Manipur and the Northeastern region,” it stated. The group called on the Union government to uphold the Constitution, ensure national security, and stand by the people of Manipur by formally ending the SoO framework.
