A powerful bandh enforced by Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur’s Churachandpur district turned Friday into a day of total disruption, highlighting simmering ethnic tensions over political representation. Shops stayed closed, schools suspended classes, and streets echoed with silence as the 24-hour shutdown took full effect.
The call for the bandh came in response to the controversial swearing-in of Kuki-Zo MLAs into the new state government led by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh. Organizations like KSO and KWOHR led massive rallies, blocking roads and confronting authorities in a bid to press their demands.
Thursday’s violence set the stage for the unrest. In Churachandpur’s bustling areas, young protesters torched tires and clashed fiercely with police, who resorted to baton charges and gas shells after facing stone-pelting. Five injuries were reported, underscoring the intensity of the standoff.
At the heart of the fury is Nemcha Kipgen’s elevation to Deputy CM. The BJP-affiliated legislator, along with two others from the community, joined the cabinet despite widespread opposition from tribal leaders. The Kuki-Zo Council has now vowed to ostracize them socially, deepening the rift.
Security has been beefed up significantly, with central and state forces patrolling sensitive zones. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla reiterated law and order as the top priority, while the CM called for collective efforts to restore normalcy in the ethnically diverse state plagued by past conflicts.
Protests spilled over to Tengnoupal and other hills, with demonstrators demanding exclusion of their community’s representatives from the government. As senior officers oversee operations, the district braces for potential further agitation, testing Manipur’s fragile peace.