Normal life hit in Kangpokpi as tribal organisation observes shutdown
The Committee on Tribal Unity extended the protest to demand justice following the discovery of two mutilated bodies in Senapati.
Normal life in Manipur's Kangpokpi district was affected for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as markets and businesses remained closed. According to The New Indian Express, the shutdown was observed by a tribal organisation to protest alleged state government inaction regarding the killing of two youths.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) called the shutdown to condemn the government's response to the deaths of two Kuki civilians. The mutilated bodies of the youths, who had been missing for a few days, were found in a hilly stretch in neighbouring Senapati on Sunday morning.
CoTU had initially called for a 24-hour shutdown starting Sunday and extended it by 48 hours on Monday night. The organisation stated it would not accept administrative excuses and demanded time-bound action against those responsible for the killing.
Police reported that several goods vehicles heading towards Imphal on a national highway were stranded in Senapati and could not enter Kangpokpi. A senior officer said additional security forces have been deployed in the district to prevent any unwanted incidents.
The ethnic conflict in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities began in May 2023 and has claimed at least 306 lives. Recent months have also seen reported clashes between the Kuki and Naga communities.