The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a Kuki organization, has decided to end the indefinite shutdown it started in Churachandpur district. The shutdown was in response to arrests made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) related to the killing of two youths and another case. The ITLF will continue to monitor the situation and decide later if more protests are needed.
The ITLF announced in a statement that the shutdown will end by 6 pm today. They also said that the sit-in protest by the ITLF women’s wing will resume next week.
The protests were sparked by the killing of two young people, Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi, who went missing on July 6. Disturbing photos of their bodies were released on September 25, causing public outrage and violent demonstrations in Imphal Valley.
The CBI arrested four people in connection with the kidnapping and killing and transferred them to Guwahati. They also gave custody of the two minor daughters of the main suspect to the child protection officer in Assam’s Kamrup Metro district.
The NIA also made an arrest in Churachandpur related to a case involving a “transnational conspiracy.” This conspiracy allegedly involves leaders from terror groups in Myanmar and Bangladesh planning to wage war against India by exploiting ethnic tensions in Manipur.
Since May 3, there have been over 180 casualties and many injuries due to ethnic clashes in the region. These clashes were sparked by a protest march organized by hill district residents against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The Meitei community is the majority in Manipur’s population and mainly resides in the Imphal Valley. The tribal communities, including Nagas and Kukis, make up just over 40 percent of the population and are concentrated in the hill districts.
