Protesters blocked a key highway and damaged a vehicle during a 24-hour shutdown imposed in Manipur’s Churachandpur district over the support of three Kuki-Zo legislators to the new government in the ethnic violence-hit state. The support triggered violent protests in the region on Thursday.
The Kuki Zo Council, an apex body of the Kuki-Zo communities, supported a shutdown and announced a social boycott of the three, including deputy chief minister Nemcha Kipgen, for defying its decision and joining the government without their demand for a separate administration being addressed.
The protesters blocked the highway connecting the capital Imphal to Mizoram’s Aizawl via Churachandpur. Businesses and educational institutions remained closed and vehicular movement was restricted to emergency and essential services.
Security was tightened at the residences of Kipgen and two other lawmakers, Lalliang Mang Khaute and Ngursanglur Sanate, supporting the government. The Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights planned a rally, even as security forces were on high alert
The Kuki Students’ Organisation accused the three lawmakers of betraying the Kuki-Zo community. It appreciated the remaining seven lawmakers from the community, who refused to join the new government.
The 10 Kuki-Zo legislators had been demanding a separate administration in the form of a Union territory since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023 and left nearly 260 people dead and 60,000 displaced.
Former speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who is from the dominant Meitei community, on Wednesday took oath as the Manipur chief minister a year after President’s Rule was clamped in the state in 2025 amid ethnic violence. Kipgen was among his two deputy chief ministers from the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities, who took oath hours before the President’s Rule was withdrawn.
The ethnic clashes first broke out between the Meitei and the tribal Kuki communities before involving almost every community and leading to the creation of ethnic enclaves and a virtual bifurcation of the state. Meiteis live largely in the plains of the Imphal valley, and the Kukis in the hills. They withdrew to their respective strongholds after the violence began.
Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister last year, a week before the President’s Rule was imposed amid mounting internal discord and the threat of a no-confidence motion. Reports suggested that up to 10 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators were prepared to cross party lines. After ethnic clashes broke out, BJP Kuki-Zo lawmakers severed ties with Singh and demanded his resignation.
There has been no fresh incident of violence since January 5, even as tens of thousands of people continue to live in relief camps.
