Tensions escalated along National Highway-37 in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Monday after a confrontation broke out between Kuki demonstrators enforcing an emergency highway shutdown and security personnel deployed in the New Keithelmanbi area. At least three people were reported to have sustained critical injuries during the incident.
The shutdown, called by Kuki civil society organisations in Kangpokpi, entered its second day amid protests against what demonstrators described as selective security operations targeting Kuki-Zo inhabited villages.
Large numbers of protestors gathered along the vital Imphal–Jiribam highway, disrupting vehicular movement and demanding an immediate end to the ongoing operations.
According to local accounts, tensions flared when security personnel moved to disperse the crowd and restore traffic along the highway. Measures adopted to control the situation, including the reported use of blank firing, smoke bombs and other anti-riot tactics, triggered panic among the demonstrators and intensified the unrest.
The Kuki Inpi South West Sadar Hills (KISW-SH) condemned the action taken by the security forces and alleged that participants in the shutdown were dispersed using tear gas shells, blank ammunition and baton charges.
In a statement, the organisation described the response as excessive and claimed that three people suffered serious injuries during the confrontation. It further alleged that instead of addressing public grievances, the authorities resorted to force against what it termed a democratic form of protest.
According to KISW-SH, the emergency shutdown was organised in opposition to what it described as discriminatory combing operations being conducted exclusively in Kuki-dominated areas.
The organisation also linked the ongoing ethnic tensions to the NSCN-IM and the alleged involvement of its proxy, the ZUF-Kamson faction, and demanded legal action against those it held responsible.
Warning of intensified agitation, KISW-SH stated that demonstrations would continue unless the authorities address the issues raised by the community and ensure accountability.
The latest clash underscores the continuing volatility in parts of Kangpokpi district, where allegations related to security operations have fuelled repeated blockades, shutdowns and public protests.
