The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) Sadar Hills has announced a 48-hour total shutdown across Manipur’s Kangpokpi district in support of a shutdown call given by Kuki Inpi Manipur over the continued detention of 14 Kuki civilians. The shutdown came into effect from midnight of May 15 and is expected to continue for two days across the district. In a statement, KSO Sadar Hills said all schools, government offices, private institutions, business establishments and transport services in Kangpokpi district would remain closed during the shutdown period. The organisation said the protest was being carried out in support of the demand for the immediate, safe and unconditional release of the 14 civilians who are allegedly being held hostage.
Describing the continued detention of the civilians as a “barbaric act”, the student body said the incident represented a serious violation of human dignity and the rule of law. KSO Sadar Hills stated that volunteers would be deployed in different parts of the district to ensure what it called the “strict and peaceful enforcement” of the shutdown. The organisation also warned that action could be taken against public or private establishments that failed to comply with the shutdown call. At the same time, KSO Sadar Hills said it would not be held responsible for any untoward incidents resulting from defiance of the protest directive.
The student organisation further criticised what it described as the inadequate response of the authorities and security agencies in handling the situation. Calling the issue a “test of constitutional governance”, the organisation said any delay in securing the release of the detainees would amount to a failure of constitutional responsibility. The shutdown has added to tensions in Kangpokpi district and surrounding areas amid the continuing ethnic unrest in Manipur.
