Members of the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday staged three rallies across Manipur to demand a separate administration and to protest against viral audio clips allegedly featuring Chief Minister N. Biren Singh making objectionable comments.
The rallies took place in Leishang (Churachandpur district), Keithelmanbi (Kangpokpi), and Moreh (Tengnoupal).
In Churachandpur, the protest began at the Anglo Kuki War Gate in Leishang and ended at Peace Ground in Tuibong, covering 6 kilometres. The demonstration caused markets and schools in the district to close as students from the Kuki-Zo community participated.
Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar urged residents to keep businesses and private institutions open despite the rallies.
In Kangpokpi, hundreds of protesters started their march at the Keithelmanbi Military Colony and moved to Thomas Ground in the district headquarters, covering 8 kilometres.
G Kipgen, a protester in the Kangpokpi rally, said,”The demonstration is being held to press our demand for a union territory for the Kuki Zo people.” Another protester added, “We also protest against the viral audio clips in which objectionable comments were made.”
The Manipur government has claimed that the audio clips, which falsely attribute statements to Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, were spread on social media to disrupt peace efforts in the ethnically troubled state. Authorities have described the audio as “doctored” and are currently investigating.
Alongside rallies in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, a protest march took place in Moreh, a town on the India-Myanmar border, where participants also called for a separate administration.
In an interview with PTI, Chief Minister Singh strongly rejected the Kuki groups’ demand for a separate administration. He emphasised his commitment to safeguarding the state’s interests and preserving its identity, firmly dismissing the call for separation. This was his first definitive rejection of the Kuki demand
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